Photo by Caroline MIller
The Chelsea City Council meets at Chelsea City Hall on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
The Chelsea City Council on Tuesday night, in a split 3-2 vote, rezoned 115 acres next to Chelsea High School to make way for a new 158-home subdivision called The Trails at Double Oak.
The property at 9680 and 10450 Shelby County 11 was rezoned from an agricultural district to an R-2 residential district.
However, the plan approved by the City Council Tuesday night was much different than a plan submitted by the same developer in December 2025, Mayor Cody Sumners said.
“That proposal was for approximately 240 homes. That rezoning request was denied by the City Council,” Sumners said “The proposal that was approved tonight is from the same developer. However, he made changes to address concerns of the council, including fewer lots, larger lots and more green space.”
All the lots in the new 158-home layout will be at least 15,000 square feet, and homes will range in size from 2,983 square feet to 4,069 square feet, developer Jerry Howard of Harris Doyle Homes said.
The overall density of the development will be 1.4 homes per acre, but 43 acres of the site are slated as green spaces, which means about 2.2 homes per acre in the remaining space.
The lots primarily will be 100 by 150 feet and will contain homes with four or five bedrooms, 3½ to four bathrooms and indoor garage space for two or three vehicles, Howard said. The average sales price is expected to be about $550,000, he said.
Map courtesy of city of Chelsea
This is the master plan layout for The Trails at Double Oak, a proposed 158-home community at 9680 and 10450 Shelby County 11 in Chelsea, Alabama.
During a public hearing in April, numerous people spoke against the rezoning of this 115 acres for another residential subdivision, citing concerns about its impact on traffic, schools, wildlife and the environment.
Valerie Atchison, who lives on Shelby County 11, said the highway is already beyond capacity.
“We all experience the difficulty of turning, merging and simply moving, especially during peak hours, and that’s before factoring in the 1,100 already approved lots here in Chelsea that have not been yet built. It’s not about hypothetical growth, it's about guaranteed growth,” Atchison said.
“Highway 11 is already the go-to alternative to 280,” she said. “When more drivers will use it, congestion will increase. So the question tonight is not whether growth is coming. It is whether the safety, infrastructure and timing are being prioritized before adding more. This community deserves clear answers.”
Gary Jones, a resident of Chelsea Park, said he was 100% in favor of this development. The problem with traffic on Shelby County 11 is not the growth; it’s people on their phones not paying attention who are having wrecks, he said.
He fully trusts Harris Doyle Homes to do a good job with the development because there is not another home building company with more integrity and honesty, he said.
City Council President Scott Weygand said the revised plan submitted by Harris Doyle Homes with larger lots, larger houses and much less density is a win for Chelsea.
“At the end of the day, there’s some people for it, and some people are against it. I received notifications from both sides, and it’s kind of split,” Weygand said. “For those that are unhappy with it, at the end of the day, we’re all still Chelsea, we’re all neighbors, and we’ll move on to the next one.”
Councilman Arthur Fisher Jr., who voted against the rezoning said that, even though he voted against it, “I think right now we just have to continue to find the positives, find the upsides with this and just work alongside the developers as well and make sure that it continues to accommodate and everybody follows through with the promises that were made. We’re going to hold everybody accountable here, and we’re just going to do our best and continue to do what’s best for Chelsea.”
In other business Tuesday, the City Council:
- Amended the city’s zoning ordinance to amend the definition of an auto repair business and allow auto repair businesses only in B-2 business zoning districts, adjust the rules for off-street temporary storage of vehicles, adjust the rules for self-storage facilities, amend the rules for planned residential districts, and allow the Chelsea Planning Commission to modify requirements for the Highway 280 Overlay District on a case-by-case basis
- Authorized the disposal of various office furniture deemed no longer needed
- Authorized the mayor to sign a contract with the Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging for that agency to provide meals for senior citizens in fiscal 2027
The next regular meeting of the Chelsea City Council is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19.
