By Carmen Brown
Saddle Lake Farms HOA Board President Mellissa Wiley and her husband Steve looked at more than 100 houses before they found that country feel in the city they were looking for. “We were looking for some acreage that was still in the city of Alabaster,” Wiley says. “This is still in the City of Alabaster, but you feel like you’re in the country when you enter the area. You’re out of all that main traffic.”
Wiley is a retired teacher who wanted the same small-town feel. “This was perfect for us. My son lives in Montevallo, and my daughter lives in Alabaster, so we wanted to find a home closer to them and have room for our five grandkids,” she continues.
Bringing a little bit of country to the city, Saddle Lake Farms is a secluded subdivision located just two miles south of the Colonial Promenade at Exit 238 off I-65. According to the Saddle Lake Farms welcome page, the lake is “fully stocked and professionally maintained” with a nearby nature trail and other common areas. Saddle Lake Farms has 184 lots, with each owner having a “pro rata” portion of the common areas, including the lake, a community pier, a boat docking ramp, and all of the streets. “The draw is the lake,” Wiley says. “It’s a 15-acre lake for residents only, and it’s a great neighborhood for walking.”
Wiley says the residents know each other, and sometimes groups get together to eat at nearby restaurants. “People are so friendly,” she says. “When we first moved here, people were walking down the street waving. If people here aren’t waving at you, something is wrong.”
Wiley says that although Saddle Lake Farms does not have any actual working farms, residents have told her how much they love the abundance of wildlife. “Deer, foxes, geese, herrons, squirrels, and turtles are plentiful,” Wiley says. “People can’t believe the experiences my grandchildren have in a city setting.”
Karen Tucker and her husband Dale, who have lived at Saddle Lake Farms for nine years, were also won over by the country feeling. . She says she fell in love with the equestrian theme that the area was originally built around, still evident in the mailbox and signage. “I’m a horse person, and our house is right on a pasture,” Tucker says. “I don’t have any horses, but as a child I used to dream of having a horse farm, and there are two retired quarter horses close to me. I can look out the window and see them. We’re so grateful to have that view.”
New resident Kelli Hammock also gets to share Tucker’s view across from her home. “It’s very picturesque here,” Hammock says. “The area really appealed to us because you’re in Alabaster, but you’re away from the hustle and bustle of the city.” Hammock moved to Saddle Lake Farms from Smiths Station in late May after welcoming the newest addition to her family. Her children had relocated to the Birmingham area about five years ago, and she wanted to be closer to them and her four grandchildren. “My son lives in Homewood and has three kids, and my daughter lives in Vestavia and just had her first child,” Hammock says.
Newcomers always receive a welcome packet from the Saddle Lake Farms Homeowners Association’s hospitality committee, who work throughout the year to make new 
residents feel welcome and maintain the feeling of community for everyone. HOA officers include Vice President Karen Tucker, Treasurer Lorenzo Egan, and Secretary Camille Morgan. In addition to the officers, the HOA also has a Board of Directors that includes Wiley, Egan, Alvin Harris, Sam Munyer, and Matt Towey. The HOA’s Events Committee holds a Witch’s Ride in October, “Plant a Flower for Mom” on Mother’s Day, and Christmas caroling during the holiday season. The committee decorates every year for Christmas, Fourth of July, Veterans Day, Armed Forces Day, and Memorial Day. They also sometimes have a Back-to-School Bash at the lake. But the real fun came last March. “On St. Patrick’s Day, one of our board member’s father, Dennis Egan, dressed as a leprechaun and read stories to the kids,” Wiley says.
Today, younger families with children are moving to Saddle Lake Farms as older owners are moving to smaller homes and less acreage. One of these new additions is Robin Webster. She and her husband had always wanted to live near a lake and had known about Saddle Lake Farms for years because she had a friend who used to live there. “It is such a pretty subdivision, and as luck would have it a house that we originally saw came back on the market and was perfect for us, so the timing was great,” Webster says. “We have only been here for a little over a month and have met some really nice families.”