About a dozen residents of Canebrake subdivision came to the Athens City Council Monday night to object to a request by developer David Wright to increase the density of building lots on several streets.

However, Wright, speaking through his attorney, Winston Legge, withdrew his request before a scheduled public hearing on the matter, saying he did not want to add controversy.

City Council President Ronnie Marks decided to go ahead with the hearing because it had been announced and he wanted it as part of the public minutes of the meeting. But despite the density issue becoming a last-minute moot point, several of the residents had their say.

And they didn’t stop at housing density. Their complaints ranged from construction debris and mud to speeders. They also complained that the homeowners association is being left out of the loop when it comes to decisions that impact their neighborhood.

Wright had originally made his request to increase lot density from six up to nine lots on two streets to the Athens Planning Commission. The commission, thinking it was a zoning issue, forwarded the request to the City Council.

“There’s a lot more at issue here than making nine lots out of six,” said Marks. He said that the council approved Canebrake as a Planned Urban Development with R-5 zoning. However, under the PUD designation, it can also include R-1, R-2, R-3 and R-4 zoning.

“The Planning Commission kicked this up to the council without a recommendation,” said Marks. “But it’s a change in the master plan and not a zoning issue.”

This would have been the eighth such change in the master plan requested by Canebrake developers.

Chuck Browning, who lives on Piney Creek Drive in Canebrake, said when he purchased his house, he had been shown a plan that included 250 houses. He said repeated changes to the master plan now call for 330 homes.

“Going from six to nine lots doesn’t sound like a lot, but some times it’s a safety issue,” said Browning. “There is only one way in and one way out of the subdivision. I left Decatur because of things like this and came to what I thought was the loveliest community in north Alabama.”

Resident Julian Newman, who lives on Riviera Drive, said that when the subdivision is completely filled there would conceivably be some 4,500 people living there. “That’s a pretty good-sized town,” said Newman. “The changes need to quit.”

Mike Williams of Piney Creek Drive said community changes should come before a community meeting before going to the city as a formal request.

“You can’t add 100 homes without community impact,” said Williams. “It’s ludicrous, just crazy to change with no regard to the people living there.”

But the strongest remarks came from Jim Kjer, who lives on Long Cove Drive. This was Kjer’s second appearance before the council. He came to a meeting a month ago and complained about construction debris and mud that washes down streets from construction sites every time it rains.

“The runoff in the streets is still a problem,” said Kjer. “I shoveled up another bucket the other day. And down on Winged Foot Lane it’s like a beach with patches of mud 100 feet long and 4 to 5 inches deep…I’ve been dealing with this for two-and-a-half years and it’s a no-win situation.”

The News Courier tried repeatedly in recent weeks to contact Wright since Kjer’s first complaints before the council. Wright did not return messages. The News Courier attempted unsuccessfully to contact Wright again Monday night after the meeting.

Canebrake resident Martha Green raised the issue of traffic enforcement. She said that teen drivers and some construction vehicles and others, habitually violate the posted 30 mph speed limit. “It’s a significant problem,” said Green. “Especially where the cart path crosses the streets.”

Newman suggested installing speed bumps near the two areas where the golf cart path crosses streets.

City Planner Scott Griess had drawn up a suggested resolution before the meeting and the council unanimously approved it to state that density matters in Planned Urban Developments are the concern of the Planning Commission and it would be up to that body to allow or deny the requests.

The council also directed Police Chief Wayne Harper to increase patrols in Canebrake. Harper said he would post signs for construction vehicles to use the service entrance instead of the residential entrance.

Councilman Harold Wales, who represents the district, said, “I consider this to be a significant victory for Canebrake residents because now he knows we will get involved and you will get involved.”