Residents express concern over increase in traffic at Log Cabin Road, new subdivision

Feb. 11—Several residents of the Plantation Chase subdivision have wondered for the past few weeks about the new development a short distance away from them on Log Cabin Road.

Some of them attended the Baldwin County Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday night to find out details, but no one, including county commissioners and other government leaders in attendance, seemed to know much about it.

Karley Lance, representing the Homeowners Association at Plantation Chase, a subdivision near the new construction, asked county leaders about it.

"There's been a lot of development recently at some property that is right next to our neighborhood," Lance said.

She said no one at their homeowner's association meetings knows what is under development either.

"Who is developing it and how is it going to impact our community," Lance asked. "And how is it going to affect our property values? And is it going to fall under HOA covenants?"

Lance said she attended Tuesday's meeting to get some clarity.

"We're not anti-progress, but we want to make sure that that progress is not to the detriment of the established communities and established families who have made long-term plans as they have bought property in that area," Lance said.

Commission chairman Johnny Westmoreland told Lance she needed to speak to Steve Owens, chief building official for Baldwin County.

"This new subdivision is going on literally in our backyard," Planation Chase resident Janice Ward said. "There's been a lot of digging going on since November."

She said she could stand at the kitchen window of her home and see all kinds of things going on at the property.

"We see all the equipment, but we don't know what's going on," Ward said, as her husband, Kenneth, stood beside her.

She said they had concluded that it was going to be a subdivision, but wondered whether it would be condos, apartments or single-family homes.

Ward also expressed concern about the traffic that a new subdivision would create, as well as the additional traffic from the new Publix Supermarket and Kroger nearby.

Gladys Grable and her husband Jerome are also residents of Plantation Chase.

"We have the same concerns that have already been addressed," Gladys Grable said. "We're just kinda lost and don't really know what's going on. We just need some answers."

When reached for comment this week, Owens said that the property will be a single-family residential development.

It will be known as Milledge Commons. Plans call for 100 new homes to be built on the property.