Elmore County Developments

[Southron]

Town of Eclectic joins growth trend

Eclectic, Alabama, with a 2000 census population of 1,037 in 409 households, is on the way to becoming a booming bedroom community for Montgomery. Three new subdivisions, currently in different stages of planning, will bring roughly 240 new homes to the town. Eclectic's mayor says that the town has usually seen only up to ten new houses built per year.

The town is spending up to $750,000 to extend water service to the new subdivisions. Too bad the developers aren't paying that bill.

I wonder what the population of Eclectic will be in ten years. 10,000? 15,000?

Montgomery Advertiser story

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The city of Wetumpka purchased land behind its Civic Center and along the Coosa River to extend the city's riverwalk. A section of the riverwalk behind City Hall has already been completed, and Mayor Jo Glenn said she expects the entire riverwalk to be completed this summer.

Montgomery Advertiser: Wetumpka council votes to buy land to expand riverwalk

[Southron]

A new Wal-Mart Supercenter, the anchor of Hillcrest Shopping Center on Alabama 14 near the I-65 interchange, will open its doors this Wednesday morning in Millbrook. Millbrook officials have felt for years that residential growth outstripped retail growth, and expect the Wal-Mart to produce an additional $2.5 million each year in sales taxes, a 50% increase over current tax revenue.

Hopefully no locally owned businesses will go under because of this behemoth.

Montgomery Advertiser: Millbrook awaits Wal-Mart opening

[Southron]

The mayor of Millbrook loves his sprawl. In an interview with the Central Alabama Business Journal, Mayor Al Kelley said that he sees Wal-Mart as a catalyst that will bring more retail to his growing bedroom community. He expects Millbrook, a city of over 14,000 people now, to be approaching 30,000 residents in 10 years. In the interview linked below, he discusses a number of planned or expected developments.

Millbrook mayor focuses on expanding retail base

[Southron]

Millbrook, one of Alabama's fastest-growing cities, celebrates its 30th anniversary today. Thirty years ago Millbrook only had 3,000 residents, but it now has more than 15,500. Mayor Al Kelley believes the population will reach 20,000 within three years.

Montgomery bedroom communities are booming, which means more and more sprawl and traffic problems for the river region. I hope the improvements under way in Montgomery will eventually help keep people from moving out to the middle of nowhere.

Montgomery Advertiser: Millbrook marks 30 years of growth with bash

[Southron]

Millbrook formed a Com

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A standing-room only crowd filled the Wetumpka Civic Center Tuesday night for a meeting of the Concerned Landowners of Elmore County, a group opposed to the Elmore County Commission's draft comprehensive plan, which was developed by the Central Alabama Regional Planning Commission. Group members also would like to have the current subdivision regulations revised or revoked, and oppose zoning.

According to these people, sustainable development is an evil socialist plot of the United Nations. I'm surprised that none of them mentioned black helicopters.

I hope the Elmore County Commission stands up to these naysayers and adopts the comprehensive plan. We need all the tools we can get to help prevent un-checked sprawling development.

Prattville Progress: Concerned Landowners lambaste county plan

[Southron]

Millbrook will begin construction on a northern bypass route in 2009. The bypass will be built in three phases, with the third phase complete sometime after 2012.

Montgomery Advertiser: Bypass planned in Millbrook