‘I don’t think it went very well’: Saraland mega neighborhood developer speaks for first time

SARALAND, Ala. ( WKRG ) — Saraland residents gathered Tuesday evening to speak with one of the developers of a proposed mega neighborhood.

The “Southwind” subdivision would sit off of Celeste Road and Radcliff Road, and it is one of two mega neighborhoods proposed over the past couple of months that has caused concerns among residents. The other mega neighborhood is “The Preserve,” which would sit off of Army Road.

Both neighborhoods originally would bring roughly 800 homes each.

According to the KAD Properties developer of the Southwind subdivision, they have reduced the expected number of homes by 203, bringing their total number of lots down to 578.

Developers said they are planning to have lots in the neighborhood ranging from sizes of 100 feet to 50 feet.

After the developer addressed the changes they made to their plan Tuesday evening, Saraland residents stood up one by one to address their concerns and ask questions. However, more questions were left unanswered.

“I don’t think it went very well,” concerned resident Sandy Acres said.

Questions about the traffic on Celeste Road, the quick increase of growth and the infrastructure of the land are things that residents wish they would have answers about before the project moves forward.

“They’ve not even had a conversation about wetlands mitigation, about drainage, about sewage, how they’re going to handle sewage, let alone address water,” Acres said. “So, again, they were totally unprepared.”

This meeting comes just a month after Saraland City Council passed a moratorium, pausing mega neighborhood developments from moving forward for the next six months.

However, the developer said the moratorium does not include the Southwind Subdivision because they already applied before it was passed.

The developer has tabled their application to make further adjustments to their plan.

If approved, construction would likely begin in spring 2025, and they would only build 100 homes a year.

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