Indian Hill residents win road battle

By Katie Stallcup

Published: July 1, 2008

Indian Hill residents won a major victory Tuesday in a months-long battle to keep an Opelika developer from routing traffic from a proposed mixed-use developement into their
neighborhood.

David Scott wants to connect an access road from his proposed development in Opelika to the end of Indian Hill Road in Auburn.

On Tuesday, the Auburn City Council vacated the right of way and deeded it to adjoining landowners, essentially shortening the road and denying Scott
access.

Scott told the council he would take legal action to gain access to Indian Hill.

“I will appeal to circuit court, if that’s what I have to do,” Scott said. “I think I have a strong case. That’s certainly not what anybody wants to do is go to court. But that is the next step in this process.”

More than 25 subdivision residents attended the meeting.

“Some of the residents feel we’ve been picked on because of the makeup of our community,” said Arapaho Circle resident Neal Scott, no relation to the developer. “We’re not expensive … homes. We’re the working man … I feel it’s a time to make a stand for the common man that lives in Indian Hills and not look so much for the industrial dollars that the property may bring to us five or 10 years down the road.”

Indian Hill Road resident Donna Hesterman told the council she was concerned the connection would affect property values.

“When I buy a house, I look at the way of life that comes with it,” Hesterman said. “Right now our property is very good like it is. It’s a nice, comfortable place, and it’s safe, and it’s close to town… Running the street through would make it a less attractive place for me to live, and I can only assume that anyone I would have to sell it to in the next few years would probably look at it the same way.”

Scott said he would rather go through another Auburn resident’s property, but the resident was reluctant to sell, and it would cost $1 million to move a natural gas line in order to build a road.

Another option, connecting to Watson Street, would take a lot more work and money, he said.

City Engineer and Public Works Director Jeff Ramsey said a commissioned traffic study showed that such a connection would turn the street from a residential to a collector street, increasing traffic and likely eliminating on-street parking.

The council voted unanimously to vacate the right of way.

After the vote, residents gathered outside the council chambers. They were pleased, but most weren’t getting their hopes up until the issue was resolved in court.

“To me, it’s like the playground bully who’s got the most bucks beating up the little guys,” Arapaho Circle resident Tom Hobbs said.

Hesterman said she was pleased the residents had the support of the council, but she would wait to see what the court said.

“It’s a good first step,” she said. “…We’ll be happy to see the shovels out there digging up the end of the road.”