Northport Council Votes Down Controversial Group Home Proposal

NORTHPORT, AL — For the second time in four months, community opposition to a proposed group home on 8th Street in Northport won out Monday night as the Northport City Council voted down a conditional use request for the controversial development.

Shawn Blackburn — a former mayoral candidate, Planning and Zoning commissioner and current owner of MackHinton Homes LLC — is responsible for the project and owns the lot at 802 8th Street where he has expressed a desire to build a 5,000-square-foot facility capable of housing roughly a dozen boys ranging in age from 9-12, along with support staff.

While the concept received a favorable recommendation from the city's Planning and Zoning Commission in its second incarnation, Blackburn initially withdrew the request in February following vocal opposition from residents in the area.

Blackburn was joined by his family and pastor Monday night in speaking out in support of the concept, pointing out that the group home would house wards of the state, and not those with substance abuse problems or who are being assimilated back into society after prison.

"These are boys in all likelihood who look just like me — Black and brown boys looking to find some kind of stability in their lives and some kind of environment where they can be kids, where they can be safe," Blackburn said.

Northport Mayor Bobby Herndon was unable to attend the meeting in person after having surgery Monday morning, but relayed his opposition through a statement read by City Attorney Ron Davis.

"In an area of town where property values are not as high as other parts of town, I see where property owners do not want to see a decrease in value, which would certainly happen," the mayor said.

Competing petitions were also cited by both Blackburn and the Council prior to the vote, with the signatures in opposition nearly doubling those in favor of the group home. Those opposed have mentioned worries about the increase in traffic in the neighborhood, along with a higher influx of young people.

Iris Hinton, a resident of W.J. Moore Estates since 2004, has been a vocal opponent of the development and read aloud a letter for the public record that she submitted to the City Council on behalf of those against the group home. Her biggest concerns focused on such a development interrupting an otherwise quiet, low-traffic neighborhood.

"This lot is too small to accommodate that many extra people in the area from many standpoints: traffic congestion, higher incidence of problems with the children based on their recent home environment, additional friends of the group home residents gathering in the area and noise level increase, due to general talking of children and basketball court adjoining several homes."

The City Council went on to vote 4-0 against the group home, with District 2 Councilman Woodrow Washington II abstaining.

In other Council business ...

• The Council unanimously approved an emergency declaration following damage from Tropical Storm Claudette, Patch reported on Monday, while passing a separate measure allocating up to $750,000 from revenue generated by the city's 1 cent sales tax to address immediate needs.
• The Council heard the first reading of a resolution on the adoption a new employee benefit policy to all City of Northport employees, along with incoming new employees, which will come at no fiscal impact to the city. As Patch previously reported, existing employees as well as new employees will be allowed to transfer unused sick leave from a previous Retirement Systems of Alabama contributing agency.
• The Council also heard a first reading of a resolution extending the contract for City Administrator Glenda Webb through the first Monday of November 2025. This will bring her contract in line with the current City Council term, which was recently extended by a year through an act of the Alabama Legislature.

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com.