This is a guest opinion column

Although not born in Huntsville, I consider myself a Huntsville native as I moved here in the late 60s, I have seen Huntsville grow to be the largest city in Alabama as well as receive the distinction of being the 2022-2023 #1 in Best Places to Live by U.S. News.

I want to disclose a few of the key ‘lessons learned’ I garnered when an out-of-state developer purchased land and wanted to change the zoning classification to maximize their profit.  I do not have an issue with people making money but not when the city ignores its own ordinances that were passed to protect the residents that live here and our taxpayer dollars.

The land I’m referring to is on the northwest side of Monte Sano Mountain off Bankhead Parkway in Huntsville, AL.  It was originally Phase 2 of the Heritage of Monte Sano Subdivision of which Phase 1 began development in the late 1980s but still has several vacant lots available because of the cost associated with developing them. Building homes on the side of the mountain became increasingly more difficult and costly with the passing of Slope Development City Ordinances in the mid-90s.  Thus, Phase 2 has sat in its natural mountainous state until recently when an out-of-state developer bought the land and proposed to have it rezoned from the original zoning plan of the city.

The disregard of our city leaders to not uphold our City Ordinances was and is still the primary concern causing many citizens to pursue legal action from the judicial branch of government that is responsible for enforcing the laws.   How can the City of Huntsville not abide by their own ordinances developed by Subject Matter Experts by the City of Huntsville and passed by previous and current administrations?  There are multiple ordinances being violated both in Zoning and Slope Development.  No formal documentation or analysis (e.g., meeting minutes) has been provided by the City Departments to support the decisions made by our city leaders regarding why these ordinances are being ignored.  Also, the Circuit Court of Madison County AL agreed to dismiss the motion filed by the Defendants without any explanation to the Plaintiffs or citizens.

The conduct of city meetings is my second lesson learned and something I would like to see changed to allow more transparency in the city’s processes.  Certain agenda items are opened for public comment but after the last public person speaks, the public is no longer allowed to speak.  After the public session, the city boards and committees ask questions to the applicable City Departments.  In our case, the city referred to the developer and their contractors to answer their questions, many of whom are ‘strategic partners’ with the developer and prepared the critical documents justifying the development.  I don’t see how this can be seen as an independent assessment of the impacts (e.g., environmental, erosion, traffic, drainage, etc.) or how our city leaders could use these sources to make informed decisions.

Thirdly, this came as a shock but maybe not a complete surprise to me, so I thought it was worth mentioning.   In our communication with the city’s five City Council members, most City Council members outside of City District 2, indicated they would more than likely cast their vote the same as City District 2 person because the development was in their district.  IMO, our City Council members should be looking out for the entire city, not just the district they represent to ensure pseudo checks and balances within our city government officials.

In summary, as you drive on Bankhead Parkway, look toward the north across from the Land Trust Parking Lot and you can observe what ‘progress’ looks like in the City of Huntsville.  Huntsvillians, you have been warned, including our neighbors in Southeast Huntsville, that are now experiencing the ‘process’.  My advice:

• Don’t Wait Until It Happens in Your Neighborhood
• Get Involved Now, Support Your Neighbors & Neighborhoods
• Do What’s Right
• Let Your Voice Be Heard
• Initiate Change
• Vote

This opinion is in memory of Jackie Reed, a longtime Huntsville government watchdog.

Mark Judge is a Huntsville resident