Silence was golden for a group of McCalla residents who vehemently opposed a proposed residential subdivision during Thursday’s meeting of the Jefferson County Commission.

With about 24 persons who live near the property at 7159 George Loop in the meeting, President Pro Tempore Joe Knight asked if there was a motion to approve. The question was met with silence.

“Seeing none, this motion’s denied,” Knight said.

Commissioner Lashunda Scales said she was set to offer a substitute motion to deny the request. Knight said the lack of a motion had the same effect.

“The request is denied,” Knight said to applause and a chorus of “Thank you, Lord.”

This was the third time the developer had come to the commission seeking a change in zoning to permit the development. The initial plan was for there to be 107 garden homes; that plan was ultimately reduced to 60 lots with three being estate lots and the rest R1 zoning.

Scales said she was going to make a motion to reject the request because she was moved by the solidarity of the residents.

“The community spoke about the adverse impact on them, and I was impressed with the fact that they were together,” she said. “They came out in droves to make sure the commission understood their position.”

Speaking generally, Knight said the trend among developers is to cram in garden homes tightly enough to jump from one roof to another.

“We don’t want all these crammed in there,” he said. “This one (developer) had a certain number and he reduced it. Two or three times, he’s been back.”

Chanelle Fletcher, the final resident to speak, cited the estate properties in the vicinity, adding that the proposed development is not comparable to them.

“We don’t deny progress,” she said. “All we’re saying is this area where we live; (they’re) trying to come in and put all these little houses in an area where you only have a little two-lane road that’s already smaller than an average-size road that causes problems.

“These people have acreage,” Fletcher continued. “They have homes that are valued at $300,000, $400,000, $500,000, up to $1 million with acres and acres of land.”

Fletcher’s appeal was for infrastructure to be addressed before there is a development.

“If you have 61 lots, how many people do you think that is? How many cars? At least two per household,” she said. “It’s too much. If we’re gonna do something, let’s make it comparable to what we have.”

Fletcher cited another recent development of D.R. Horton homes that she said threatened to decrease the value of other homes in the area.

“If we’re going to put subdivisions in, let’s wait until we get the roads widened, get the infrastructure in place before we overcrowd (the area) and cause accidents,” she said. “Let’s put things on hold for a minute and let’s get it right. That’s all we ask. That’s all we ask.”

McCalla has become a popular target for developers because of growth in the unincorporated area in southwestern Jefferson County, Development Services Director Josh Johson said recently.

The county is working on a comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance in an attempt to manage growth as it’s happening rather than having to retrofit infrastructure later.

“It (McCalla) is developing at the rate of a town, and that comes with growing pains,” Johnson said. “That’s kind of the thing we’re trying to manage. How can McCalla grow sustainably so that we can provide workforce housing without overwhelming the school system, overwhelming the road network and all those different things (like) the sewer system, all those things that are critically important to the quality of life.”