By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Pelham Councilman Ron Scott requested more frequent police patrols in The Ledges subdivision during a Jan. 22 council work session after residents in the neighborhood said one of their streets has become a weekend teen hangout.

About 10 residents from The Ledges attended the work session to request the council consider funding installation of new street lights on Oxford Way, which is off Weatherly Club Drive leading into the Ballantrae neighborhood.

The neighborhood currently is on its third developer, and is not yet built out, said Councilman Maurice Mercer. The southern end of Oxford Way already has street lights, but the northern end of the road, which contains only a few houses, does not.

Scott said the undeveloped northern end of the road frequently draws loiterers on the weekends, and neighborhood residents said they regularly see vehicles speeding down the street.

“Kids gather on the end of that street on the weekends,” Scott said, noting residents often find broken bottles, empty alcoholic beverages and tire tracks near the end of the street. “We’ve got a simple solution to the problem here, and that is to talk to the police.”

Council President Rick Hayes said the city “doesn’t pay” for light poles, but said Pelham typically pays for the electricity to power the street lights. The cost for installing the light poles will fall on the neighborhood’s homeowners association, Hayes said.

“We don’t want to see anyone get hurt. We want to see (these street lights) go forward, but this needs to be done through the association,” Hayes said. “We need to partner with you guys.”

Pelham Mayor Gary Waters said the poles likely will cost about $1,400 each if purchased soon.