The Real Deal

By Sharman Egan Lagniappe columnist

Ahhh, spring…and a young man (or woman’s) fancy turns to love. Or, if you live in Mobile, it may turn to azaleas, Plantasia, golf or Ansel Adams. And if any of these are on your list of spring activities, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll spend at least a little springtime in Spring Hill.

While you’re there, be sure to check out all the changes in the area. The community is on a roll, thanks in part to a relatively new neighborhood organization, The Village of Spring Hill.

One of the first things you’ll notice is new sidewalks along University Boulevard to Museum Drive and Langan Park, and from the park up McGregor Avenue to Old Shell Road. Now more sidewalks are planned along Old Shell Road, funded by a grant for $379,000 that was recently awarded to The Village of Spring Hill. The group has also received a second grant for $300,000 which will be used to develop a comprehensive plan for the area and begin implementing that plan.

If you check the organization’s Web site, www.thevillageofspringhill.com, you’ll see an impressive list of accomplishments for an organization that was just in the talking stages 18 months ago. The group has held two annual meetings, developed a Web site and newsletter, planted over a hundred live oak trees, held a successful Clean Up Day (with a second one scheduled for March 31st)...the list goes on and on.

How did The Village of Spring Hill accomplish so much so quickly? I asked Linda St. John, president of the organization, that question. She said it was a combination of hard work and listening to residents.

St. John explained that the impetus for the group was the merchants in the area. “They started an effort to get residents involved. They were concerned about the deteriorated appearance of some areas. The commercial sections didn’t reflect the historic character of the neighborhood.” Once the merchants raised the issue, the organization took off. “The people of Spring Hill – merchants, residents, everyone – were at a point where they were ready for something to happen.”

Interestingly enough, one of the first challenges was defining the boundaries of The Village of Spring Hill. “We spent months figuring that out,” St. John said. “We talked to residents to find out who considered themselves part of Spring Hill.”

They decided that The Village of Spring Hill would include the area bounded by Airport Boulevard (residential areas only) to the south and the Canadian National Railroad line (running north of Spring Hill Avenue and along Zeigler Boulevard) to the north, and between University Boulevard to the west and I-65 to the east. The group also included the University of South Alabama as part of The Village, even though it is west of University Boulevard.

This area includes many beautiful homes as well as some of Mobile’s finest amenities: Langan Park, Mobile Botanical Gardens, Mobile Museum of Art, West Mobile Azalea Trail, Spring Hill College, Spring Hill Medical Center and three golf courses.

If you think Spring Hill is a place where only well-heeled Mobilians live, Linda St. John wants you to know you’re wrong. “That’s what most people in Mobile think, but we are actually a mixed income community and we want to stay that way,” said St. John. “It’s better for a community if people of all incomes and ages live there. If Spring Hill was all million-dollar homes, young people couldn’t afford to live here.”

. When I checked www.apartmentfinder.com and the Gulf Coast Multiple Listing Service, I was surprised to find a wide range of apartment rentals and home prices. Apartmentfinder.com showed rents ranging from $490 to $1,650 per month. According to MLS, you can buy a condo in Spring Hill for as little as $95,000, or a house for under $115,000. Of course, if you’re looking to spend a million or more of your hard-earned bucks, you’ll find at least nine houses that may fit the bill, including one for just under $3 million.

What can other communities learn from this group’s success? St. John’s advice is threefold:1) Identify your goals. The leaders of The Village of Spring Hill organized a meeting of residents a year ago. Over 500 people showed up, too many for an open forum, so they gave everyone an index card and asked them to write down their most important priorities. Then they compiled their ideas and began acting on them.

2) Ask for help. St. John said their next step was to identify people, especially politicians, who could help them get things done. 3) Meet with those people. Make sure your goals are clear to them and show them you’re committed.

One of the keys for The Village of Spring Hill was receiving status as a non-profit organization from the Internal Revenue Service. It took six months but it was worth the effort, said St. John. “Once we got that, people realized this was more than an effort to plant a few trees and have some cleanups. People are willing to invest their time and money in something that is successful.”

St. John also says you must be prepared to work very hard. “We have all worked harder than we’ve worked in our life,” she explained. “But the board decided that if it was worth doing, it was doing right.”

Sharman Egan is Lagniappe lagniappe columnist. Contact her at Sharman@SharmanEgan.com.

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