Locked and Loaded On Harpersville

From the March 9, 2010 Draft on Vincent Hills Quarry:

4. The plan calls for the transformation of portions of County Road 85 and County Road 62 into truck routes. This will require approval by the Shelby County Commission. Prior to seeking Commission approval, detailed engineering drawings for the proposed truck routes will be required. Said drawings shall include all upgrades to the existing road system required by the County Engineer. If the rezoning is approved, the County’s requirements will be provided after a detailed infrastructure evaluation by the Highway Department. All costs associated with this development (evaluation, design, construction…etc.) will be at the developer’s expense.

5. The proposed development plan will transform existing county roads to truck routes which access U.S. 280 (a state-maintained route). Future submittals must include intersection improvements required by ALDOT in regard to the proposed truck routes.

At a recent Harpersville City Council meeting a proposal by ALDOT to repave and improve Highway 76 was read. Highway 76 is not in disrepair now, so why redo it?

Does it have anything to with the Vincent quarry?

Looking at the maps, Highway 85 runs through Creswell, crosses Highway 280 and intersects with Highway 76. That route bypasses the busy intersection of Highways 280 & 231 and allows for faster, less traveled access to Highway 231/25 down to the Wilsonville RR depot & the Alabama Power plant.

Interesting.

2 private landowners have spoken on the condition of anonymity that they have been approached by "mysterious figures" in the last year, to purchase their large tracts of land in Harpersville. They say mysterious because the inquirers were not very talkative regarding their intentions as to what they wanted the land for.

Where has this happened before?

Harpersville is sitting on a lot of limestone and if Vincent becomes a mining town the mining companies will not stop at Vincent.

As they have done with other areas of Shelby County where quarries are located, they will be looking to expand their mining operations and locations. The maps show that quarries in this county have situated themselves on BOTH SIDES of major state highways. Mr. Bradley has Martin Marietta Aggregates, who operates on the other end of the county, as his client and expect him to continue to push for his client's interests.

Columbiana has targeted the "eastern section of the county" in their 2007 Industrial & Economic Board Press Release (linked to the right and page at the end of blog).

Be warned and be concerned about what is happening in Vincent, Harpersville. You may be next despite your existing ordinances.

If Bradley & BARD could get to Jefferson County/Birmingham and disrupt their city policies and procedures on the level they did, in favor of their own, they are emboldened to do the same to another community.

The bought and paid for politicians and the Shelby County power brokers will help them do it.