save sand town

NOTE:  Sand Town has requested that the City Council grant it an exemption/removal from the Village of Spring Hill Overlay, article 13.  See how Sand Town is responding to the Unified Development Code (UDC) new zoning proposal.

On October 19, 2021 the Mobile City Council held a vote to adopt the UDC Plan for the entire city.  That vote included The Village of Spring Hill Overlay, Article 13 that directly impacts Sand Town.  The bill did not pass.  The City Council could not get the unanimous vote as required.  For now, the UDC Plan has to go back to square one.  

We are certain that at some point very soon, the UDC and whatever revisions that are made will be up for a vote, now that the newly elected members of the City Council are installed.  Therefore, we must remain informed and diligent. 

The UDC Committee will reach out to the Planning Commission and the Mayor to remind them that Sand Town Community Action Group intends to actively participate in development planning within the Sand Town borders.  Our objective is to establish development codes that preserve our history as opposed to destroying it. In our estimation, that starts with having autonomy from The Village of Spring Hill’s Overlay.  We will keep you updated on that front. 

As residents of Sand Town, we have been united and consistent in our response to the Unified Development Code’s Village of Spring Hill Overlay as proposed. Pursuant to communication with Build Mobile officials, we were advised that “Special requests and modifications to the UDC must be addressed to the City Council.” To be clear, the Sand Town Community Action Group is requesting an exemption or removal from the Village of Spring Hill Overlay, article 13 of the UDC. 

Sand Town is a minority historical district. Recently, City officials confirmed this fact with further research provided to the UDC Committee of the Sand Town Community Action Group. Those City officials have come to understand the singular uniqueness of Sand Town, its residents, and the nature of our historical community. It is our desire that the City not only recognize us as such but make a commitment that gives us first, authority and a voice in the development of land that borders our homes and properties; and second, gives us the necessary infrastructure that has eluded Sand Town for decades and will worsen under the future land use plan identified in the Village of Spring Hill Overlay.

Please understand, we have been advised that there can be no Sand Town representation in the membership or on the Board of The Village of Spring Hill; yet, they are requesting complete and total authority over Sand Town borders.  You may have received letters from a group of Spring Hill businesses, to which we have lent our support, indicating that most of the land in Spring Hill is already developed. That is a true statement; however, it is critical to point out that most of the remaining undeveloped land is in Sand Town.  The Village of Spring Hill is acutely aware of this. They are singularly committed to changing the immediate area where we reside without including or consulting with us. This threatens our very existence:

1. We are in opposition to the Village of Spring Hill’s land usage plan as it relates to Sand Town.

2. We are in opposition to the Village of Spring Hill’s corporate rezoning and development under the auspices of a “neighborhood center” right in the heart of our community. The proposed development is on land where the process of proper B2 rezoning is in question. We are requesting a cease-and-desist moratorium for clear cutting and corporate development at Springhill Avenue and East McGregor until due diligence, in collaboration with, and separate from, City officials has concluded, and proper documentation is presented, reviewed and verified to the satisfaction of all affected parties.

3. We are in opposition to the Village of Spring Hill’s recent removal of plans for Inner Ring Road which allows for the extension of McGregor Avenue. This promises to be the very life blood of access to Sand Town and the development of our properties. Our grandparents knew, fought for and received funding, and were granted a greenlight from the City for this purpose. When the Village of Spring Hill knowingly lobbied for the removal of this extension, it effectively cut off critical infrastructure within our community.

The Sand Town Community Action Group is not opposed to all development; quite the contrary. We are interested in becoming a proper Historical Community Development Center of Mobile. We want to be self-determining in the future coding, zoning and development that recognizes, respects, and celebrates the historical relevance of our community to the City of Mobile. We respectfully request that Sand Town be removed from the Spring Hill Village Overlay and remain under the City of Mobile’s building codes as we work with the City and developers to pursue these endeavors.

UDC Committee Members

Sand Town Community Action Group