Northport Council Approves New Process, Criteria For Paving Dirt Roads

NORTHPORT, AL — The Northport City Council on Monday unanimously voted to approve a new process and criteria for paving dirt roads in the city.

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The debate has been ongoing for well over a year, as previous concerns were raised by residents. These issues, such as forced annexation, were addressed in past meetings with city officials, Northport City Engineer Tera Tubbs said on Monday, with the new ordinance reflecting the feedback.

The measure discussed and approved Monday also came after being tabled during the previous council meeting so further due diligence could be conducted.

As the new ordinance reads, the criteria for paving a dirt road within the city limits includes:

• The City of Northport will not involuntarily annex dirt roads into the city to then be paved.
• All adjoining properties on the road in question must also be voluntarily annexed.
• The dirt road being considered must serve at least five residences, businesses, or any combination thereof.
• Adequate right of way must be established by plat or deed — typically 50 feet — but can vary due to infrastructure and utilities in the area.
• Property owners served by the road will be assessed a percentage of the construction cost, which will then help fund the project or act as a matching grant.
• The City of Northport says assessment will be representative of the property value increase due to infrastructure improvements.

According to the new ordinance passed on Monday, residents must first formally request a dirt road to be paved, which will then be reviewed by the city's engineering department.

Once given the green light, a petition will be provided to the requesting resident to then circulate to obtain a 100% favorable response from all adjoining property owners in order for the city to move forward with paving the dirt road.

If denied, a second request for the same roadway will not be processed for one calendar year from the previous request.

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