Public meeting focuses on Highway 41 safety

About 40 people braved a frosty Thursday evening, Feb. 19 to gather at Mt Laurel Elementary for a meeting on safety concerns along the Highway 41 corridor.

Shelby County Commission Chairman Rick Shepherd, Emergency Management Supervisor Hub Harvey, Chief Development Officer Chad Scroggins, Sheriff John Samaniego and Battalion Chief John Yancey of Cahaba Valley Fire and Rescue joined them.

The meeting covered a wide range of topics related to Highway 41, also known as Dunnavant Valley Road. Harvey said the conversation ranged from emergency situations to recent burglaries and speeding.

“It was a very good open, back-and-forth discussion with questions from the community,” Harvey said.

Harvey said Sheriff John Samaniego plans to increase patrols along the corridor in response to resident concern.

Yancey spoke about the fire and emergency response services that Cahaba Valley Fire provides. He noted that a fifth station is planned for the area around Dunnavant Valley Road and Shoal Creek. The station, scheduled for completion by the end of 2015, will serve Shoal Creek, Holly Brook, Smyers Lake, Stone Gate Farms, The Shires and other area neighborhoods. Yancey said the new station will add manpower and decrease response times for Dunnavant residents.

The emergency management agency also passed out flyers from FEMA about disaster preparedness and talked about smartphone apps for severe weather alerts.

The meeting was a chance for Harvey to gather resident feedback as part of his office’s update to their Hazard Mitigation Plan. The plan must be updated every five years and the new version will be finished by August. Harvey said he will be surveying residents from every part of the county as part of the plan’s update. Those public meetings have not yet been set.

“We like opportunities to get out and dialog with the public,” Harvey said.