 The Meadow Brook Homeowners Association was not in existence
in 1985. However, when Daniel Realty began talking about cutting Cumberland
Trace up the hill to the Apartments the residents formed the association
as a means to represent ourselves as a unified body against Daniel Realty
and their original design for the "planned community" of Meadow Brook.
We were able to stop them from turning that cul-de-sac into a through street.
After that we also worked with Daniel to get a buffer zone for the residents
on Cumberland Trace and the Office Park.
Again, Daniel heard the concerns of the homeowners and a suitable
compromise was agreed upon. Then came Birmingham's annexation moves
down the 280 corridor. Your homeowners association worked with the
Shelby County Commission and the County Commission voted to file
a lawsuit against the City of Birmingham for its move on Meadow Brook.
Then came the Aronov rezoning of the property on the corner of Meadow
Drive and Valleydale Road (location of the church and horse stables)
for 1,800 apartments to be built. The Homeowner's Association attended
Shelby County Planning Commission meetings and wrote letters asking
the Shelby County Planning Commission to modify or repeal their previous
decision.
The stop signs on Meadow Brook Road to slow down traffic were put
in. Talk of a Swim and Tennis Club on Meadow Brook Road on the lots
that would not perk -- tempers flared on this topic. Adjoining residents
to this property opposed the idea of a Swim and Tennis Club as it
was not in the original design plan for our community.
In 1987 90% of the homeowners in Meadow Brook petitioned for annexation
into Hoover. There were many issues and in the end Meadow Brook residents
were denied their petition for annexation.
Membership dues for the association initially came about because
as the developers in Meadow Brook finished their work they ceased
maintaining the attractive street signs and posts. The county refused
to maintain our signs as they were, but would replace them with metal
posts and metal signs common elsewhere in the county. When the developers
stopped mowing the back entrance to Meadow Brook the Homeowners voted
to use dues money to pay to have someone mow and maintain an attractive
appearance to the back entrance.
It should not be misunderstood that the desire to be annexed by Hoover
was not primarily driven by Birmingham's land grabbing, but by the
homeowner's desire to secure the areas tax base, places that we shop
and work, into an area that would be willing to annex our homes.
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