By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

PELHAM—Chandalar South residents continue to express concerns regarding the future and possible construction on an 11.82-acre parcel of land located off of Dalton Drive and Chandalar Lane and the flooding implications this could pose for their community.

During a May 29 Homeowners’ Association meeting, residents expressed concern about the possibility of a multi-family development or commercial logging of the land.

A multi-family development would require a rezoning of the land and Ordinance No. 420 designates residential roads as “no truck zones.” The property owner submitted a plan for a single-family home, which Pelham Mayor Gary Waters shared with Chandalar South residents during the May 29 meeting. However, residents are still uneasy about plans for the land.

“There is something missing here,” longtime Chandalar South resident Claude Peacock said, noting confusion regarding the owner of the 11.82-acre property. “There are many questions that need to be answered.”

According to Waters and Peacock, Brian Jacks has claimed ownership of the land, however Shelby County’s Geographic Information Service lists the property as belonging to a Charles Acker of Ada, Okla.

Residents said they fear that any changes to the land will lead to severe flooding in the neighborhood, especially along Dalton Drive at the base of Dove Ridge.

“The property doesn’t take an engineer to tell (any changes will) cause a large amount of runoff,” Peacock said.

The tract of land on Dove Ridge is currently undeveloped, save for power lines, covered in shrubbery and trees which Peacock said slows water runoff, protecting homes along Dalton Drive from flooding. Chandalar South residents have raised this concern with the Pelham City Council and Mayor Gary Waters at several City Council meetings.

During the May 29 meeting, Waters informed residents that no building permits or permits to disturb would be approved for the property until the owner produced proof of ownership, two stamped architectural plans, a letter of permission to build from Alabama Power and an engineer’s drainage plan showing the property will contain its own storm water runoff.

As of June 23, Waters said the property owner had not met any of the four criteria for a building permit.

“No permits have been issued, and nothing has been submitted,” Waters said in a June 23 phone interview, however he did note that the property owner had “questioned the city asking for a (drainage) study for one home.”

Pelham City Attorney Butch Ellis confirmed he had spoken with city officials about the drainage plan requirement for the Dove Ridge property building permit.

“In my judgment, that’s valid,” Ellis said of the legality of the drainage study requirement, however he declined to go into further detail.

Waters confirmed that he will stand behind what he told Chandalar South residents, and a building permit will not be approved until the owner meets the four criteria set before him.

“We’re waiting for information from the mayor,” Peacock said, adding until that time, “we will stay Chandalar united.”