Mobile County Commission tables Tilman's Corner volunteer fire department re‑subdivision after resident complaints

The Mobile County Commission on March 9 agreed to hold over consideration of a re‑subdivision connected to the Tilman's Corner Volunteer Fire Department after resident Lance Robinson described noise, property damage and a delayed emergency response.

Lance Robinson, who gave his address as 4945 Freeway Lane, told commissioners the volunteer department runs siren tests “like it's a wakeup call for the whole neighborhood” every weekend and that the trucks have repeatedly damaged his dead‑end street and crushed his driveway. He said removal of trees by the waterboard altered drainage, producing persistent flooding, and recounted an incident he said left a house engulfed in flames after an eight‑minute volunteer response. “It took the volunteer fire department eight minutes to respond to the fire. By that time, the house was fully engulfed and it burnt to the ground,” Robinson said.

A member of the dais explained the parcel Robinson referenced is owned by the Mobile County Water and Sewer Board, an independent entity, and said the commission does not have unilateral authority to stop a sale or lease by that board. The official said the parcel may be leased for classroom training rather than long‑term apparatus storage, but acknowledged commissioners had not confirmed final plans.

After the public comment and discussion, a commissioner asked that the re‑subdivision be removed from the consent list and that staff meet with Robinson, the fire department board and the waterboard’s representatives to seek a solution. The commission amended the motion and voted to table the re‑subdivision until the next meeting, with the clerk noting the item would need to be readvertised if held over.

The commission did not adopt or reject any transfer or sale on March 9. The next opportunity to act will be the commission's meeting scheduled for March 23, 2026, when the item may be readvertised and returned to the agenda.