Controlled Growth a Necessity
From the Shelby County Reporter - Editorial  January 18, 2006

Shelby County is growing.

That’s evident in our big cities like Pelham, where residential growth is booming, and in Alabaster where retail business is on a meteoric rise.

But growth is also happening in Chelsea, Calera and Montevallo.

The county is encouraging controlled growth. And towns like Westover are trying to get ahead of the game with a comprehensive plan and planning and zoning regulations already in place.

But in Montevallo, there is evidence of growth out of control. Citizens are calling for a moratorium on new development until the city fully understands what it needs and gets infrastructure such as an expanded sewer system in place.

Yet there is the possibility that a sub division could go online in Montevallo before a needed sewer extension is ready, forcing the need to pump raw sewage into a four-foot manhole that would subsequently have to be pumped into a truck before its hauled to a treatment facility.

This kind of growth is unacceptable. This is the kind of thing that Shelby County must avoid.

Our school system is already being over-taxed by an increasing student population while the county doesn’t have the funds to build new schools.

Shelby County needs to get a grip on growth, to implement taxes and impact fees to help fund necessary infrastructure improvements.

Growth without control is a recipe for disaster.