Priceville planning to add 774 new homes in new subdivision, residents voice concern

PRICEVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - Priceville has a population of a little more than 3,500, with about 1,600 homes. Now, developer Breland Companies wants to build a new subdivision near Priceville High, adding 774 homes over the next decade.

Residents understand the concept of growth but want to be certain the city’s infrastructure could handle the load.

“They’ve added two whole subdivisions in three years, almost,” said Priceville resident, Jesse Wiggins.

Wiggins has lived in Priceville for three years. He says maintaining a small town feel is important to him, especially when it comes to education.

“That’s another thing I think we need to make sure we have under control before the housing deal goes through because you want to make sure you have the teachers in place, the staff in place, the school in place, for the influx of children there’s going to be,” said Wiggins.

Lana Byrd’s main concern is the traffic, considering that Priceville is a hop, skip, and jump away from Interstate-65. Especially when it comes to Bethel Road as a main artery in the city. There was one more roadway that concerned her.

“Highway 67 in Priceville has always been - it can be a dangerous road because of the traffic and people speeding,” said Byrd. “There’s been several deaths that I’m aware of on that road. We had a friend crossing 67 several years back and he got ran over one Sunday night. He got hit by a car.”

Breland Companies spokesperson Joey Ceci has heard those concerns.

He says spreading the entire project over a decade will help prevent the city from being overburdened.

“There’s going to be eight phases, it’s going to be stretched out over the next 10 to 13 years so all these houses don’t get built immediately. The first people wouldn’t start moving in until probably 2024, 2025 at this point,” said Ceci “And really the last houses would be built sometime around 2033, 2034.”

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