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'A simpler time'
Oak Park construction begins
Published Friday, September 11, 2009
Construction is underway for the newest subdivision in the city of Troy, but it could be 15 more years before the final plans reach completion.
That doesn’t mean it will be that long before residents are ready to live in the Oak Park subdivision located off Elba Highway.
Hugh Wheeless, president of Wheeless Development, said some homes have begun the first phase of development in the 150-acre property.
“There will be 81 lots in phase one,” Wheeless said.
But, ultimately, he envisions the subdivision holding up to 600 families in the land that spans from Elba Highway to behind Lowes on U.S. Highway 231.
Wheeless said a study was done on Troy’s housing market four years ago that showed favorable results for the subdivision’s construction.
However, construction has taken one year longer than originally intended for its beginning.
On Tuesday, Wheeless said he sold seven lots, four homes were under construction and the fifth lot was cleared that day.
Wheeless said the plans for the Oak Park subdivision will include homes, parks and even a shopping area.
But, he said the commercial portion will be in the long-range plans of the development. He said now it’s too early to tell what types of businesses may be recruited to locate in the neighborhood.
Wheeless said with an aggressive timetable, developers will have completed 20 homes a year for three years. Once that is complete, he said they will begin the project’s second phase to construct more homes.
“Normally, what follows in phase two will be when we have 60 or 70 families living there,” Wheeless said.
Wheeless said the lots and homes will vary in size, houses ranging from 1,200 to 2,000 square feet.
Homes will include rear entry garages and driveways, Wheeless said, and the subdivision will have a strict set of covenants and bylaws for its tenants to follow.
The prices will range from $199,000 to $269,000. According to Scott Hendricks, president of the Pike County Board of Realtors, the average home in Troy this year has sold for $142,823.
Wheeless said the vision of the development is getting back to 1920s and 1930s architecture and way of living.
“We want to reflect a time when life was simpler,” Wheeless said. “We’re trying to get back to those gathering places and of going to parks and meeting with neighbors.”
Another part of the company’s development, may include a donation of land to the local school system.
Wheeless said nothing is for certain, but in past subdivisions he has made similar donations.
The city of Troy’s Comprehensive Community Master Plan will build a connector road that will link Enzor Lane and U.S. Highway 231, which will be convenient for residents of The Oak Park.
While Wheeless has high hopes for this development, his enthusiasm hasn’t been met with similar responses.
Earlier in the year, families linked with The Jones Cemetery, near where Wheeless has built Jones Park, filed suit alleging he damaged their land. The suit is still in the discovery phases and is not set for trial at this time.
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Posted by Sunny (anonymous) on September 11, 2009 at 10:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wheeless has reflected "a time when life was simpler" and "getting back to those gathering places and of going to parks and meeting with neighbors” by destroying The Jones Cemetery with absolutely no regard to those buried or their families today. He doesn't seem to care that he is breaking laws in Alabama by removing trees and fences and going so far as to have workers say yes, they had seem disturbed bones with all this construction being done. OUR cemetery should have never even been touched by him or anyone else. This was NEVER his property to put a bathroom on or run a water and electrical system through and certainly no one wanted our lovely old oak trees pulled up to put his ageless dogwoods in. One can go thinking they will be able to spend a restful, peaceful time with a passed relative only to face the glaring revelation that one cannot even find where their loved one is buried because of all this unwanted disruption Wheeless has ordered workmen to do. Wheeless is aware of our concerns and ignores them, continuing to build more homes with little regard to the horrific damage he has caused. I believe if he could have gotten away with it he would have just bull dozed those graves and built homes on top of our loved ones. I do not understand how someone can talk about going back to the past when he has no respect for that past. Build all the houses you want Wheeless but leave our loved ones alone to rest in peace, return the cemetery to it's original state!!
Posted by bama01 (anonymous) on October 29, 2009 at 8:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
well I am very happy that we are getting such a well developed suddivision in troy and for the subject about the cemetery it was so overgrown that you could not get to it and wheeless has gone in there and cleaned it up. If you cared so much about your loveones then you would have never let it get into the shape it was in... now that there is a beautiful park and cleaned up you want to complain.. I have taken my little girl to jones park and have enjoyed the park... I'm sorry that you feel this way about the park... but you have to also thank wheeless for making the cemetery a place that you can visit.... This development is bringing new things to our town and we should be happy that there are people that want to help our town prosper....
Posted by Sunny (anonymous) on November 2, 2009 at 10:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"bama01" You stand corrected! You are not taking your child to a PARK to play, you are taking her to a PRIVATELY OWNED CEMETERY that you nor anyone else who does not have family buried there has any business being in. Most assuredly you can read the no trespassing signs that have been posted? This is PRIVATE PROPERTY that you, your child nor Mr Wheeless has any business on. I can't imagine you would be thanking anyone for moving head stones and disrupting graves. My thanks for Mr. Wheeless will come when he has abandoned his attempts to destroy our cemetery. I am not accustomed to thanking anyone who runs water lines through grave sites, who puts up a fence and leaves part of the graves on the outside, who removes old oak trees whose roots go God knows where. No thanks will be coming from me or any of my relatives until Wheeless has returned our cemetery to it's original condition. If causing damage to our cemetery is somehow helping your town then I'm glad I don't live there any longer! Our cemetery has nothing to do with whether your town prospers or not! There is a lesson to teach your daughter; the Alabama laws about cemeteries, how to respect others property and how to read posted signs.
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