Photo by Jon Anderson
Trace Crossings entrance sign 4-5-19
A new entrance sign welcomes people to the Trace Crossings community along Stadium Trace Parkway in Hoover, Alabama.
Hoover City Council members tonight tried to calm residents still fearing the city wants to build a new access road from Hoover High School through a residential neighborhood to Alabama 150.
Two of them would have gone through the Cahaba River Estates community, one would have gone through the Willow Trace sector of Trace Crossings, and the fourth would have replaced a golf cart trail and walking path between Willow Trace and Park Trace.
But Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato said Thursday he would not support any of those options because they were too “brutal” on existing communities. He called those ideas “dead in the water.”
And council members last week echoed the mayor in saying they want to look for better solutions to resolve traffic congestion in Trace Crossings. However, while Councilman John Greene last week said there was virtually no positive feedback about the ideas presented, he advised that it’s wise to “never say never.”
At tonight’s council meeting, some residents still weren’t convinced that ideas for a connector road are dead and pleaded with council members to “make it go away.”
One resident of Willow Trace said, other than the death of her parents, the thought of a connector road from Hoover High through Willow Trace was the worst thing that ever happened to her.
Council President Gene Smith told her that if the Trace Crossings community isn’t in favor of a traffic solution for the community, it’s not going to happen. “At this point, we’re just as unhappy as y’all” about the ideas, Smith said.
Councilman Curt Posey emphasized that the ideas that were shared with the council were just concepts and not actual proposals and certainly not funded projects. They were just physical possibilities presented by engineers as options, and they were shared with the council publicly in an effort to be transparent about the ideas thus far identified, Posey said.
Several council members said they want to take a broader look at the Trace Crossings area as a whole before making any decisions.
Councilman Mike Shaw said council members need to make sure they are on the same page about what they are trying to accomplish with a new access road somewhere in the Trace Crossings community. They also need to hold some public meetings to get public input on the front end to make sure they properly understand people’s concerns and listen to people’s ideas about possible solutions, he said.
“We’ve got to get some clarity in this process,” Shaw said.
Thus far, the information that has been presented has caused more harm than good, Shaw said. “I think we need to get our act together.”
Greene said he still has serious concerns about police and fire department access to the three schools in Trace Crossings and suggested the city consider using one of the recent connector routes identified as a route for emergency personnel only. He also said the city should consider widening Stadium Trace Parkway.
Former Councilman Jody Patterson said there already are three police officers at Hoover High School during the school day. He believes the police presence there is adequate.
Smith said the next fire station that will be built will be in that vicinity will be built and paid for by Signature Homes.
Patterson said the idea for connector routes from Hoover High School seems like just a way to get more traffic off Stadium Trace Parkway so U.S. Steel can find it easier to get more people in houses farther down Stadium Trace Parkway.
U.S. Steel has had its way in Hoover for 40 to 50 years, Patterson said. City officials need to leave the people in existing neighborhoods alone and let whatever happens to the remaining homes in Lake Wilborn and Blackridge happen, he said.
Paul Braswell, a resident in Riverchase, said he has faith in the City Council. “They’re not trying to hurt anybody. They’re trying to help us,” Braswell said. “Give ‘em a chance.”
