Delay the Camp Coleman Road Rezoning Until Proper Impact Studies Are Completed

The City of Trussville is considering a rezoning request that could allow approximately 235 new homes and a future elementary school site in the Camp Coleman Road area.

This petition is not opposed to responsible growth. We recognize that Trussville is growing and that development will occur. However, decisions of this magnitude should be based on facts, data, and proper planning—not assumptions.

Residents have repeatedly asked for answers regarding the impact this development will have on our community. To date, no publicly presented traffic impact study, drainage analysis, lake impact study, or comprehensive infrastructure assessment has been provided to residents for review.

Before approving this rezoning, we believe the City should provide:

• A Traffic Impact Study evaluating Camp Coleman Road, surrounding intersections, school traffic, emergency vehicle access, and roadway capacity.

• A Stormwater and Drainage Study evaluating the impact on nearby properties, waterways, and existing infrastructure.

• An Impact Assessment regarding the three lakes in the area, including potential effects on runoff, flooding, erosion, and water quality.

• A clear explanation of how existing roads, utilities, schools, and public services will accommodate the additional population generated by this development.

Many residents already experience delays and access issues caused by railroad crossings in the area. While future transportation improvements, including a new road connection and railroad overpass projects, have been discussed, several of these projects are years away from completion. The public deserves to understand how traffic, emergency access, school transportation, and infrastructure demands will be managed before rezoning is approved.

Residents have also been told that studies can be completed after rezoning approval and after development agreements are in place. We respectfully disagree.

The purpose of traffic, drainage, environmental, and infrastructure studies is to inform the rezoning decision—not justify it after the fact.

If traffic, drainage, environmental, or infrastructure impacts are significant, those findings should be known before the City changes the zoning and commits to a development plan. Once rezoning is approved, the public’s ability to influence the project is substantially reduced.

Good planning requires that the facts come first and the decision follows. Completing critical studies after rezoning places the community in the position of approving a project before fully understanding its consequences.

We do not believe that conducting studies after rezoning approval provides meaningful protection for residents or allows elected officials to make a fully informed decision. The studies should be completed, publicly released, and reviewed before any zoning change is approved.

This decision will affect residents, property owners, schools, roads, and public infrastructure for decades. Once the zoning is changed and development begins, the consequences cannot easily be reversed.

We respectfully ask the Mayor, City Council, and Planning & Zoning Commission to postpone approval of this rezoning request until the necessary studies have been completed and made available for public review.

The question is simple:

If these studies are important enough to perform, why are they not important enough to complete before the decision is made?

Growth should be planned. Infrastructure should be evaluated. Residents deserve answers before decisions are made.

Please sign this petition to support responsible planning, transparency, and informed decision-making for the future of our community.