2017-18 Shelby County, AL Relocation and Resource Guide

2017-2018 Resource & Relocation Guide

County - Alabama



Table Of Contents

4-5 Newcomer Information
6 Help Hotlines
7 Health & Hospitals
8 Local Education
10 Kids Activity Page
11 Things To Do
12 State Information
13 County History
16-17 Shelby County Map
18-19 Birmingham Area Map
20 Home Buyer Information
22 Buyer Mistakes
23 How Much Can You Afford
25 Tips to Selling Your Home
26 Packing Tips
27 Moving Checklist
28 Homefinder Notepad

Skyline Publishing | Project Coordinator: Lee Crew
Ad Designer: Teri Burkitt | Book Designer: Asha Bohannon

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Newcomer

Post Offices US Post Office US Post Office
16738 Highway 280 720 Vine St.
US Post Office Chelsea, AL Montevallo, AL
1900 Corporate Dr. (205) 678-7915 (205) 665-4166
Birmingham, AL
(800) 275-8777 US Post Office US Post Office
210 W College St. 2960 Pelham Pkwy.
US Post Office Columbiana, AL Pelham, AL
50 Kent Stone Way (205) 669-4087 (205) 621-3210
Alabaster, AL
(205) 621-2628

Courthouse

Shelby County Courthouse
112 N. Main St.
Columbiana, AL
(205) 669-3760

Utilities Alabama Power AT&T
(800) 245-2244 (205) 912-7600
Columbiana Waterworks
(205) 669-5805 Southern Company Sprint
(205) 733-4222 (205) 980-8009
Shelby County Water Services
(205) 678-2818 Verizon
(205) 661-3325
SouthWest Water Company
(205) 987-8352
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Information

Shelby County Sheriff - 380 McDow Rd.

Columbiana, AL - (205) 669-4181

Police Fire

Alabaster Police Alabaster Fire
(205) 663-7401 (205) 664-6818

Calera Police Chelsea Fire
(205) 668-3505 (205) 678-6060

Columbiana Police Calera Fire
(205) 669-5800 (205) 668-3518

Harpersville Police Columbiana Fire
(205) 672-2490 (205) 669-5820

Helena Police Harpersville Fire
(205) 663-6499 (205) 672-7959

Hoover Police North Shelby County Fire
(205) 739-7220 (205) 991-6439

Montevallo Police Pelham Fire
(205) 665-1264 (205) 620-6500

Pelham Police Vincent Fire
(205) 620-6550 (205) 672-8070

Vincent Police
(205) 672-2261

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Health & Hospitals

Shelby County
Health Department
2000 County Services Dr.

Pelham, AL
(205) 664-2470

Dial 911for Emergencies

American Family Care MedSouth Family Care River Chase Urgent Care
120 Colonial Promenade Pkwy. 201 Doug Baker Blvd. 1924 Hwy 31 South
Birmingham, AL
Alabaster, AL Birmingham, AL (205) 988-3715
(205) 605-0495 (205) 408-3933
Shelby Baptist Medical Center
Chelsea Urgent Care MedCenter Hoover 1000 1st St. N
15582 Old Hwy 280 1575 Montgomery Hwy. Alabaster, AL
(205) 620-8100
Chelsea, AL Hoover, AL
(205) 678-3924 (205) 822-1150 Urgent Care PC
3143 Pelham Pkwy.
Hoover Urgent Care MedHelp
2503 John Hawkins Pkwy. 4600 US-280 Pelham, AL
Birmingham, AL (205) 620-2270
Ste. 105 (205) 408-1231
Birmingham, AL
(205) 987-6801

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Local School Districts

Birmingham City School District Shelby County School District
(205) 231-4220 (205) 682-7000

Hoover City School District Vestavia Hills City School District
(205) 439-1015 (205) 402-5100

Leeds City School District
(205) 699-5437

When Registering Your Children For School, Please Remember To Bring:

• Current Immunization Record & Birth Certificate • Name & Address Of Last School Attended
• Last Report Card & Any Scores Obtained From Standardized Tests

Colleges & Universities

Birmingham Southern College Southeastern Bible College
900 Arkadelphia Rd. 2545 Valleydale Rd.
Birmingham, AL Birmingham, AL
(800) 523-5793 (205) 970-9213

Jefferson State Community College University of Alabama at Birmingham
4600 Valleydale Rd. 1720 2nd Ave. S.
Birmingham, AL Birmingham, AL
(205) 983-5911 (205) 934-4011

Lawson State Community College University of Montevallo
3060 Wilson Rd. S.W. 75 College Dr.
Birmingham, AL Montevallo, AL
(205) 925-2515 (205) 665-6000

Samford University Virginia College
800 Lakeshore Drive. 488 Palisades Blvd.
Birmingham, AL
Birmingham, AL
(205) 726-2011 (205) 802-1200

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10

Shelby County

Alabama Adventure Birmingham Museum of Art Oak Mountain State
4599 Splash Adventure Pkwy. 2000 Rev. Abraham Park Golf Course
Woods, Jr. Blvd. 200 Terrace Dr.
Bessemer, AL Birmingham, AL Pelham, AL 35124
(205) 481-4750 (205) 254-2565 (205) 620-2524

Alabama Symphony Orchestra Birmingham Zoo Pelham Civic Complex
1200 10th Ave. S. 2630 Cahaba Rd. 500 Amphitheater Rd.
Birmingham, AL Birmingham, AL
(205) 975-2787 (205) 879-0409 Pelham, AL
(205) 620-6448
Aldrich Coal Mine Museum Inc. Heart of Dixie
137 Co. Rd. 203 Railroad Museum Shelby County Museum
Montevallo, AL 1854 N. Main St.
(205) 665-2886 1919 9th St. Columbiana, AL
Calera, AL (205) 669-3912
Arlington Antebellum (205) 668-3435
Home & Gardens Sloss Furnaces National
Karl C. Harrison Museum of Historic Landmark
331 Cotton Ave. S.W. George Washington 20 32nd St N.
Birmingham, AL 50 Lester St. Birmingham, AL
(205) 780-5656 Columbiana, AL (205) 324-1911
(205) 669-8767
Barber Vintage South City Theatre
Motorsports Museum McWane Science Center Performing Arts Theater
6030 Barber Motorsports Pkwy. 200 19th St. N.
Birmingham, AL 2969 Pelham Pkwy.
Leeds, AL (205) 714-8300 Suites J-K
(205) 699-7275 Pelham, AL
Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
Birmingham 1000 Amphitheater Rd. (205) 621-2128
Botanical Gardens Pelham, AL
2612 Lane Park Rd. (205) 985-0703 Vulcan Statue & Museum
1701 Valley View Dr.
Birmingham, AL Birmingham, AL
(205) 414-3950 (205) 933-1409

Birmingham Civil Oak Mountain State Park .....and more!
Rights Institute 200 Terrace Dr.
520 16th St. N. Pelham, AL 11
Birmingham, AL (205) 620-2524
(205) 328-9696

Alabama

The State of Alabama is located in the heart of the southern region of the United States, and
ranks 30th in total land area. Population-wise, Alabama is ranked 23rd with approximately 4.6
million residents.
Due to its continued dependence on agriculture, Alabama suffered economic hardship from the
Civil War to World War II.
After World War II, the sate recovered significantly as the economy changed from agriculture to
heavy manufacturing, education, mineral extraction, and high technology. At present, aerospace,
education, health care, and banking are the largest areas of investment.
Alabama is nicknamed the Yellowhammer State, after the name of the state bird, and is also known

State Symbolsas“The Heart of Dixie.”The capital of Alabama is Montgomery,but its largest city is Birmingham.
Wild Turkey Yellow-Shafted Flicker (Yellowhammer) Largemouth Bass

Black Bear

Eastern Longleaf Pine Alabama Red-Bellied Turtle

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Camellia

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A Bit of History

The county was named for Isaac Shelby, a hero of the King's Mountain Battle during the Revolution-
ary War. Also, he was the first governor of the state of Kentucky, and had refused election to a second
term as governor in order to fight the Indian wars. The first courthouse was fashioned of logs, and was
located at Shelbyville, long since deserted, however, believed to have been located within the modern-
day city of Pelham. It was selected as the county seat in 1820 and the county's first courthouse was built
by Thomas Amis Rogers, Alabama's first Secretary of State, who, along with his neighbor George
Phillips, represented the county in the state's first Constitutional Convention in 1819. Judge Joab Lawler
was the first judge to preside in the courthouse. The Shelbyville courthouse, built at a cost of $53, was
used until 1826, when the decision was made to move the courthouse and the county seat.

In 1826 the location of the courthouse was moved to an old school building in Columbia, located in
the central part of Shelby County. However, an act of the Legislature changed its name to Columbiana
on January 13, 1832, and the county seat was then permanently located at Columbiana. In 1854, the
decision was made to build another courthouse, which is today referred to as the "old courthouse." In
1982, the Shelby County Historical Society and Shelby County Museum and Archives moved in, and is
still there today.

Construction began on the current stone courthouse in 1905 at a then-price of $300,000. The
cornerstone ceremony was held April 5, 1906. An addition was completed in 1954. It received a
multi-million dollar renovation in the early 1990's. On March 4, 2006 the contents were removed from
the cornerstone and placed on display at the Shelby County Museum & Archives. The "100-year
celebration and cornerstone ceremony" was held June 24, 2006. On July 15, 1983 the first "satellite
license office" was opened in Pelham, Alabama. The second "satellite license office" was opened
Monday, July 17, 2006 in the Inverness Corners shopping center on U.S. 280.

The first authentic records regarding Shelby County date from 1820 when early white settlers held
their lands by virtue of what was known as Squatter Sovereignty, and titles to their holdings were not
granted by the government until 1821. The fear of an attack by marauding bands of Indians caused the
settlers to be on alert lest their possessions be stolen or burned. However, when government Land
Offices were opened, farmers and others who had established themselves on choice plots of ground
rushed in to apply for and receive title.

Most of the first settlers came from South Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky and returned to this
region after the victorious Battle of Horseshoe Bend in 1814. They brought their families and their
household goods, traveling chiefly by pack horse, to remain in this section of Alabama. The first
settlements in the area were at Montevallo, then known as Wilson's Hill, Harpersville, Wilsonville, and
Shelbyville. As indicated in the 1820 Shelby County census records, two years after it was created, the
county contained 2,492 people; 2,044 whites and 448 Negroes. Shelby County has experienced a 210
percent increase in population between 1970 and 1990. In 1992, the population was 107,261 in a land
area of 646 square miles, and average of 166 per square mile.

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Shelby County

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Birmingham

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22

HouseHow much Can You Afford?

How much you can afford is determined by a relatively simple formula. Lenders generally figure that no more
than 28 percent of your income should be for total housing costs. In addition, they require that your total monthly
debt be less than 36 percent of your income. (Note: These are general numbers. Other loan programs may allow
higher percentages.)

For example, if you make $48,000 a year, divided by 12 months, your monthly income is $4,000. (Remember,
that’s $48,000 in gross pay, before federal and state taxes are removed.) Twenty-eight percent of $4,000 is $1,120.
That is the most you can make in a monthly mortgage, taxes, and insurance payments.

Generally, to qualify, the self-employed buyer must have been self-employed in the same line of work for at least
24 months before applying for a loan. Lenders use your net income, the figure at the bottom of schedule C of your
federal income tax form, to decide how large a mortgage you can carry. But they don’t look at what you earn now
or what you made last year. Rather lenders figure the monthly average of your income over the past 24 months.
Also, overtime pay & bonuses sometimes may not be figured into your average income.

Don’t forget that points, closing costs & other out-of-the-pocket expenses probably will come out to about
one percent of the mortgage amount.

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Packing Strategies

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Preparing to move:

A strategy for packing:

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