Sabrina Hale speaks in opposition to a proposed apartment development during Monday’s meeting of the Cullman Planning Commission.

The Cullman Planning Commission has recommended the approval of a rezoning request that would allow for a multi-family apartment complex to be built at 3rd Avenue SE and King Edward Street.

The rezoning request was recommended during the planning commission’s meeting Monday evening, and the request will next go to the Cullman City Council for a final decision to be made.

A group of Cullman residents, mainly residents of the nearby Carroll Acres Subdivision, spoke out against the request at the meeting or in letters sent to the commission beforehand. 

Many of those speaking against the development cited a potential decrease in property values and a increase in crime and traffic in the area.

Carroll Acres resident Joy Shelton spoke out against the development for the likelihood that it will lower the value of surrounding properties, and said building the apartments has the potential to overload the city school system. 

“Where are all of these people going to go to school at?” she said.

Shelton said the apartments may be nice when they are first built, but she will be looking at the buildings when she looks out of her front door and she fears that they will become run down over time.

“They can develop something else, they can do a subdivision there if they want to, but I don’t care anything about apartments or cottages or any of that stuff,” she said. “I just don’t think it’s appropriate for our neighborhood.”

“I don’t think it should be someplace right there in town,” she said. “There’s plenty of places they can build this complex that’s not going to affect a little neighborhood that’s been there since the 1960s.”

Elm Drive resident Sabrina Hale said she also opposes the development because it will lower the value of her home and others. 

“As a real estate licensee, I’ve seen what apartment complexes can do to the value of a property,” she said. “Not only the value, but also crime will start to creep in when these apartments start to devalue, and they will, they always do.”

Todd Adkison, speaking on behalf of the local investors who are developing the property, spoke to the commission about the plans for the property.  

“We’re trying to develop a large-scale, highly amenitized rental development,” he said. 

He said the development will include two components: one of which is three-story apartments with two pools, two club houses, dog parks and walking trails, and the other component will consist of bungalows. 

Adkison said the arrangement of the development will place the bungalows next to Carroll Acres and have the apartment buildings stand alone and not adjoin the neighborhood. 

He said the development is meant to meet the growing need for apartment housing in the city, such as for young families who are not yet looking to buy a home, college students who need housing or retired couples who are looking to downsize.

“We’re trying to meet the needs of Cullman,” he said. 

The $50 million investment in the development is coming from local residents who will make sure that the apartments are the highest quality apartments and bungalows, Adkison said.

“This is a Cullman project with Cullman people,” he said.

In other business, the commission: 

• Approved a short form subdivision to create a right of way at the Ellsworth Subdivision.
• Approved a short form subdivision to divide one lot into two lots at 1809 3rd Street NW.
• Approved a short form subdivision of two lots on Alabama Highway 157 NW.
• Approved a short form subdivision of three lots on Welti Road SE and 14th Street SE.
• Denied a short form subdivision to divide one lot into two lots in the Wynn Haven Subdivision.
• Approved a preliminary subdivision, the Highpoint Subdivision, on County Road 490.
• Recommended the approval of a rezoning request from AG-1 to R-2 for the Shadowbrook Subdivision on East Hanceville Road SE.
• Recommended the Cullman City Council deny a rezoning request from R-1 to R-3 for the Wynn Haven Subdivision.
• Approved a site plan for Dollar Tree on St. Joseph Drive NW located between the Northside Veterinary Hospital and Alabama Farm Credit.
• Approved a conditional use request for a modular classroom for Cullman Christian School, located at 1803 Beech Avenue SE.
• Recommended the approval of an annexation request for 130 County Road 1401.
• Recommended the approval of an annexation request for 78 acres of land on Freeman Road.
• Recommended the approval of an annexation request for 324 County Road 1322.