By Scott Buttram, publisher
Commentary
TRUSSVILLE — Real estate developers like Trussville. They like Trussville a lot. Especially residential real estate developers. And why shouldn’t they? The city has three elements that aren’t readily available in every area of Alabama. Low crime, highly rated schools and amenities that draw high end homebuyers. All of which help explain why Trussville has been the fastest growing city in Jefferson County for 20 years.
Living in a city where others want to live has its benefits. Home values are high and considering a home is the largest investment for most of folks, increasing value is a good thing. It sure beats the alternative and there are more than enough areas in metro Birmingham where home values have declined and left a shell of once thriving communities.
But living in a popular, growing area also comes with challenges. Among those are increased traffic, crowded schools and more targets for crime. Still, I’d rather be in a community where others want to move than live in a place people want to escape.
However, all real estate development is not created equal. Like most things, there is good and there is bad. Only five people can truly control whether any development will be good or bad for residents, the Trussville City Council. And if you’re a property owner in Trussville, you better hope they’re on their game because a really bad idea will soon be before them.
It’s become pretty routine for developers to show up at Planning and Zoning meetings with plans for the latest, greatest subdivision. The routines are usually pretty similar and more often than not they all seem to think they’re doing Trussville a great favor by building a new neighborhood.
The song and dance often includes telling the Planning & Zoning folks how their new subdivision will help the poor dilapidated homes around this new marvel of construction. But – and it’s a big but – they can only do Trussville this grand favor if the city will allow them to shoehorn in as many houses as possible on as small of parcel of land as possible. Otherwise, they won’t be able to do Trussville this grand favor.
They’ve all done their research and they all seem to know that the only thing that will sell are cramped neighborhoods with high density. Funny how the only solution also seems to be the most profitable plan for the developer. Coincidental, I’m sure.
I’ll admit I found it more than a little entertaining when one developer was recently interrupted in the middle of explaining that his lots near the train tracks would only bring a small amount so he had to have smaller lots. One P&Z board member quickly pointed out that houses next to the train tracks in Trussville were selling for $500,000. His subdivision proposal wasn’t approved. While the P&Z Board does important work and do their best to protect the city, they really only have the authority of a speed bump.
The council has now heard from the developers of the proposed Glendale Farms at Carrington. The plan would include 178 townhomes, brownstones, and cottages. That’s a lot of high density housing and that’s before the 241 single family homes are factored in. The cottages are squeezed together like apartments without shared walls. In short, it’s the type of high density development that will needlessly add to traffic congestion and overcrowd schools.
But there’s more. The plan front loads all of the high density development and the single family homes come last. With an economy facing 40-year high inflation and interest rates rising, the housing market future is anything but certain. A half finished subdivision packed with squeezed-in housing units isn’t going to make anyone happy.
For years, new single family homes in Trussville have sold in the mid-$300,000 range on average. While the single family homes fit the area, there is no justification for high density townhomes, brownstones and cottages. No justification for stressing roads and no justification for overcrowding schools.
Which is exactly why it includes bells, whistles and carrots. Several grand favors, if you will. Shiny things.
One of the dangling carrots is a new overpass rising above the despised train tracks. But there are a few problems. The overpass would only connect two neighborhoods. Unlike Watterson Parkway which connects Trussville with Moody, Leeds and most of south Trussville, this overpass wouldn’t benefit most Trussville citizens, but guess who would pay for the project? That’s right. You, Mr. and Ms. Citizen. The developer would only provide the three acres for the city to build the overpass. The bill will be footed by taxpayers. It’s hard to believe that the last parcel of land before leaving the Trussville city limits would be the optimal location for a new overpass.
The other carrot is land for a new school. If the 24 acres the developer wants to donate were worth $500,000, it would only be about 3% of the cost of a new school which would probably be in the $15 million range. That’s not enough to justify a neighborhood packed with people like a can of sardines. Hopefully, the Trussville City Schools BOE will do their due diligence, seek public input and determine the best course forward instead of being distracted by the latest shiny thing. With three highly ranked elementary schools among the top 10% in Alabama, including one in the top 1% in the state, the BOE has much to consider and should place more emphasis on getting it right than getting it fast.
I do give the developers credit for trying to make the project look more attractive and I don’t fault anyone for trying to make as much money as they can in a free market system. Every business person is going to pursue whatever is best for them. The City Council is tasked with doing whatever is best for the citizens of Trussville. Let’s hope they do just that.