Alabaster Council decides not to issue moratoriums on subdivisions with road problems

Published 8:15 pm Thursday, March 18, 2010

The Alabaster City Council decided not to issue moratoriums on future developments in subdivisions with road problems during a meeting March 18.

Following a public hearing Feb. 18, the council stated it could issue moratoriums during the March 18 meeting.

Instead, Council member Tommy Ryals said the developers in question were working toward fixing the problems, and a moratorium would not be “prudent at this time.”

“We don’t feel like that’s going to fix the problem,” Ryals said of a moratorium. “And the goal is the fix the problem.”

During the Feb. 18 hearing, city Building Official Steve Sims recommended the council issue moratoriums on Grande View Path, Shelby Farms, Golden Meadows and the Saginaw Commercial Park.

The subdivisions of Lacey’s Grove, Lake Ridge and Lake Forrest were also discussed, but Sims asked the council not to issue a moratorium on the areas because developers in those neighborhoods had repaired their roads before the Feb. 18 public hearing.

Council member Bob Hicks said a moratorium at this time would only worsen the problem.

“We’re not interested in taking someone who’s bankrupt to court,” Hicks said. “Our issue with the whole situation was the safety and well-being of our residents.”

Ryals said some developers, like the one in Shelby Farms, had made some progress in fixing the problem.

“We are starting to see some progress in certain areas,” Ryals said. “Each situation is a little different.”

Ryals said the city would prioritize the roads that are in most need of repairs and work with developers to get the roads fixed as soon as possible.

But ultimately, Ryals said, it will be the decision of the developers whether the issue gets solved or whether the city must take further action.

“The developer is the person responsible,” Ryals said. “It’s not the city’s responsibility to fix that.”