Anti-Sprawl Development Guidelines Approved In Alabama

"The commissioners' 6-3 vote on subdivision regulations came after months of debate, with proponents arguing it would lead to higher quality development and foes saying it could stall the county's growth. The new regulations will take effect April 1 and cover unincorporated Shelby County, which accounts for 72 percent of the county's land."

"'We spent 3½ years developing our new comprehensive plan, listening to people at town hall meetings telling us they wanted a comprehensive plan that allowed for orderly growth,' Commissioner Larry Dillard said. 'The county's 26-year-old subdivision regulations don't support that plan, and the new ones will,' he said."

"The regulations create three types of subdivisions in an attempt to reward developers who build neighborhoods that are walkable and include amenities such as neighborhood business districts and green space. The rules would impose greater restrictions on the type of subdivision now most typical in the county - street after street of homes on similar-sized lots without businesses."

"The rules also give the county a voice in the earliest stages of neighborhood planning."