The Shelby News
June 30, 2004

"Pelham growth booming..."
by Lisa Osburn
News staff writer

High on top of Double Oak Mountain, the hum of constant construction tells the story of Pelham.

Percentage-wise, the city is growing faster than any of Alabama's 54 other cities of at least 10,000 people, according to information released last week by the U.S. Census Bureau.

New population estimates looking at growth between 2000 and 2003 place five of the state's 10 fastest-growing larger cities in the Birmingham area. Three of them - Pelham, Helena and Alabaster - are in Shelby County, which remains the fastest-growing county in the state.

The news that Pelham topped the list for growth among larger cities surprised few, especially not Mayor Bobby Hayes.

"People are moving to Pelham because it is a great place to raise a family," he said. "We are close enough to the big-city amenities, but we are still able to maintain a quality of life in our area that everybody wants."

And the city's 21.2 percent growth from 2000 will only increase in the coming years, Hayes predicted.

One development alone - Ballantrae, being built on top of Double Oak Mountain - is expected to bring 4,000 homes to the city in the next eight to 10 years.

"It doesn't surprise us that we have had this kind of growth," said Karyl Rice, Pelham councilwoman. "From our standpoint, Pelham is the best place in Alabama to live."

Similar sentiments were expressed in Helena, with news of a 15.9 percent increase there. Among the state's 55 largest cities, it ranked fourth for growth rate.

"We have great schools, police and fire departments and utilities, and the residents and officials here have what you could call a `city-wide' attitude," said Mayor Charles "Sonny" Penhale. "We all love Helena and come together in all sorts of community activities and projects to support our city."

Alabaster had an estimated 7.7 percent population increase since 2000, good enough for No. 9 on the state's growth list.

"I think it's probably a low estimate, to tell you the truth, just based on the new residential growth," said City Councilman Adam Moseley. "Last year we had 440 new homes built."

By this time next year, he said, Colonial Promenade Alabaster will be opening, attracting more people. The shopping center will be one of the county's biggest.

"I think we've finally added convenience to the hometown atmosphere that we have," Moseley said.

While it's a good thing to be one of the fastest-growing cities in the fastest-growing county, it can also raise concerns. Both Hayes and Penhale said they need support from both the state and the county to address increased traffic. And Moseley said the cities need to be mindful of all the growth coming to the region when looking at more development.

The latest population estimates for the three cities are: Alabaster, 25,462; Helena, 11,933; and Pelham, 17,396.

On the new list, Hoover's population is up 3.3 percent, to 65,070.

Shelby County's population has grown 11.3 percent since 2000, to 159,445.

Among cities and towns of fewer than 10,000 people, Calera continued its amazing growth, with a 62 percent increase from 2000 to 2003. In those three years, its population grew from 3,166 to 5,130.

News staff writers Marie Leech and Marienne Thomas-Ogle contributed to this story.

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