At an October 13, 2020 City Council Meeting, Resolution 2020-33 was proposed to allow private property owner, Walker Family Holdings, Ltd., to annex his property from unincorporated Jefferson County, Alabama to the City of Clay based on the ‘condition’ that it would be re-zoned from AGRICULTURAL to INDUSTRIAL and if not re-zoned, that it would then be de-annexed. The three land tracts referenced in the petition for annexation included:
Butler Mountain (Jefferson County’s highest peak)
Praytor Mountain (Jefferson County’s Sixth Highest Peak)
Foster Mountain (Jefferson County’s Second Highest Peak)
The proposed Butler Mountain Quarry is:
- less than 1300 feet from homes and farms
- 1.8 miles from the Clay Community Senior Center
- 2.3 miles from the Clay Library
- 3.0 miles from Clay-Chalkville High School
- less than 3.0 miles from the Piggly Wiggly and several other businesses
And as the crow files, these schools, businesses, and homes are even closer. Clay Elementary School is 1.75 miles from the quarry site.
The City of Clay has a proud history of protecting its natural resources. Mining it would be more than a disregard for those resources, it would be a blatant disregard for thousands of citizens.
