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St. Clair County moves forward with draft subdivision regulations amid strong developer and resident opposition
Summary
After several hours of comment and debate June 23, the St. Clair County Commission voted to advance a package of subdivision regulations as presented, pending county-attorney review and a 30-day posting period; developers and residents urged more study and changes to grandfathering and sewer provisions.
The St. Clair County Commission voted June 23 to move forward with a draft set of subdivision regulations, with final adoption contingent on the county attorney’s review and the standard 30-day posting period.
The vote followed more than two hours of public comment from developers, homebuilders and residents who said the proposed minimum lot sizes and new standards—most notably a proposed 15,000-square-foot minimum—would increase development costs, lower land values and reduce housing supply. The motion to adopt the draft as presented (with county-attorney review) carried by voice vote.
Why it matters: Commissioners said the rules are intended to slow unplanned urbanization and ensure infrastructure is adequate as the county grows. Opponents contend the approach is too blunt and will raise costs for builders and buyers, reducing housing options. Developers urged changes to the draft’s grandfathering language so previously approved projects and lot setbacks are not rendered unbuildable.
Legal and liability concerns surfaced over private/community sewer systems. State Representative Jim Hill, a former judge, told the commission that private sewer plants can be legitimate development tools where land will not perk, but warned the county should not be placed in a position where it is required to remedy private-system failures. Hill recommended explicit language that would allow the county to abate a public-health emergency if necessary and to seek reimbursement from the developer, operator or benefiting homeowners for abatement costs.
Several builders and trade groups attended the meeting. Martin Evans, general counsel for the Greater Birmingham Homebuilders Association, said: "Subdivision regulations are a good thing," but cautioned against overbroad requirements that would effectively limit where and how homes can be built. Lee Barnes, a local landowner and developer, asked commissioners to preserve prior setback standards for projects that already have plot plans filed.
Commissioners said they will ask the county attorney to craft specific language on sewer liability and savings/grandfather clauses, then return the document for final action. The draft was taken off the table and the adoption process is now active; the anticipated next step is county-attorney edits followed by formal finalization and the start of the 30-day effective period if adopted.
What’s next: County Attorney Kirk Walker will prepare revised wording addressing private sewer systems and grandfathering; commissioners said further tweaks are possible before final adoption.
