The Future of Ditto Landing

1.   Do you see a need for a long-range vision for the Huntsville metro region?  If so, how should it be developed?

Yes, most definitely.  The city has taken good steps in this direction by the addition of Dennis Madsen as the Urban Planner.  He is doing a good job in looking down the road to see what can be accomplished for the city.  Dennis is off to a good start by working with the five (5) city council districts to see what they would like to accomplish in their area regarding future development.  Dennis has been a regular speaker at the Huntsville South meetings and is very engaged in encouraging a vision for our part of the city.  We should continue to work with Dennis and encourage residents that are interested to participate in crafting the future of our area and all of Huntsville.

The first citizens academy was held at Ditto Landing and attracted about 100 interested residents from around the city.  They were divided up into groups of about 10 or so with a map and a blank overlay.  The goal was to come up with a vision of what each group would like to see Ditto become in terms of development and features.  It was great to see the wide and diverse ideas that were expressed on paper.

The future of District 3

1. If elected, what 3 things do you most hope to accomplish during the next 4 years?

First and foremost, I want to insure the city fulfills the commitments to the new Grissom campus.  This includes roads, drainage, community impact issues, etc.  I am very concerned about the traffic bottle neck and congestion problems that are going to develop by having the inflow and outflow of the morning traffic center around the Weatherly/Parkway overpass.  That is an immediate and critical concern of mine. 

Second, I would like to see if there is a way to buy out the ground lease that Arnov Properties has on the Haysland Square property.  There are about seven years left on the lease and this might be reclaimed and made available for development by way of a TIF for example.  No quality business is going to locate in Haysland Square knowing they only have 7 years to be in business.  Passing by those dark store fronts every morning on the way to the new Grissom location is not a good image to present for south Huntsville.

Third, I would like to see a long range plan be adopted and implemented regarding Ditto Landing.  This is a “gem” that has long been ignored that could put south Huntsville in the forefront of local, and out of city, tourist activity.  This attention to the extreme south part of the parkway could lead to some creative attention to the very old buildings along the east side of the road.  Some of those buildings were designed for about a 40 year life span and they are at 60 and counting.  An attractive “gateway” should be established on south Parkway for those entering the city from across the river.

1.   What are your qualifications for this office and why are you running?

The City Council is the government that is closest to the people.  This is where small issues such as a garbage pickup is missed, or a pot hole in a street needs attention are vetted.  It is where the future make up of a part of the city is discussed with the people that reside there.  I think the most important qualification is a sincere desire to work with the people in District 3 in these type issues, or any other issues they deem important.  I want to be the ambassador for south Huntsville on the City Council and make sure we receive a fair amount of resources and attention.  I believe there are some changes going on in our area that will need the attention of an engaged city councilman, to name a few, the new and old Grissom campus developments.   Ditto landing has been neglected for a very long time, and HHA low income housing needs to be watched carefully.  As the Managing Broker for one of the largest residential real estate firms in north Alabama and being a Real Estate Instructor, I know what make property values go up, and more importantly, what make them go down.  I want to do everything possible to protect the value of homes in our area.

My qualifications can be best described above.  I have been involved in the civic activities of the area for a very long time and have also had a desire to serve the people of Huntsville for almost equally as long.