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Planning commissioner lays out three options to resolve Huntsville’s alleyway disputes
Summary
In a written attachment, Planning Commission member Steve Songer described the history of blocked alleys in Huntsville, cited specific examples, and proposed three solutions: sell the alleys to adjacent owners, systematically reclaim and reopen alleys with town notice, or defer the issue.
Steve Songer circulated a January 21 letter to the Planning Commission and Town Council arguing that many alleyways in Huntsville have been improperly blocked and urging the town to choose between three clear paths: sell the land to adjacent owners, mount a concerted effort to reclaim and open alleys using town records and notices, or do nothing and defer the problem to a future council.
Songer cited historical plats and county mapping as the basis for his view and offered examples he said illustrate the problem, writing that some parcels show alleyways on historical maps but are now blocked at both ends. “There is a misconception going around that if it has been that way for 7 years, it becomes legal. This is false. That law applies to private property, alleys are public property,” Songer wrote. He recommended town‑wide notices with clear schematics and impartial treatment of owners who may claim legal title.
