Council chooses contractor for 18th Street beautification project

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The City Council selected a contractor at tonight's meeting for the 18th Street South "streetscape" project that has been under discussion since 2015.

The streetscape project will include landscaping, sidewalks, on-street parking and a redesign of 18th Street's lanes from roughly 28th Avenue South to Rosedale Drive. Ward 1 Representative Britt Thames, who has been a main driver of the project, said the city is also adding a right turn lane from eastbound Valley Avenue onto 18th Street within Homewood's city limits.

"It's going to change that whole situation," Thames said of the intersection, which frequently experiences heavy traffic.

The City Council voted unanimously to contract with Goodwyn Mills Cawood, which has been involved with the streetscape project for Homewood since the beginning of conceptual designs and cost estimates. Goodwyn Mills Cawood also had to be approved by ALDOT, which is working with the city on the project.

The contract with GMC is $291,344, Thames said. The total cost of the project was estimated at $1.2 million in 2015, but the city sought Transportation Alternatives Program and CMAQ grants to offset the cost.

Thames said 2018 will mostly be taken up by design work for the project, as the 2015 drawings are only conceptual. Construction will begin in 2019, as some of the grant funding comes with an expiration date, he said.

"You won't see any dirt being moved until the new budget year," Thames said.

Also tonight, the City Council set an April 9 public hearing to discuss and vote on changes to the zoning book's roof height restrictions for homes in the Neighborhood Preservation District.

City Planner Vanessa McGrath said at a March 5 planning and development committee meeting that the Building, Engineering and Zoning Department has found the previous phrasing of "median front grade" to be difficult to determine on each lot.

The ordinance as it stands now requires homes to meet either the height restriction measured from threshold to roof peak (29 feet for homes on 55-foot or smaller lots, 35 feet for homes on larger lots) or as measured from median front grade to roof height (32 feet for homes on lots 55 feet wide or less, 38 feet for homes on larger lots), whichever is smaller.

The change that committee members discussed on March 5 would simplify the height restriction to only 32 feet for lots 55 feet wide or less and 38 feet for lots over 55 feet, but the main difference is in how the height will be measured. The measurement will now go from the center of the front exterior wall to the roof peak.

Members of the public can comment on the proposed changes prior to the vote on April 9. Read more about the discussion of home heights from the March 5 and Feb. 20 meetings.

The Council also:

  • Changed its next meeting from March 26 to March 19 due to the school system's spring break.
  • Held a public hearing for the Islamic Academy of Alabama, 1810 25th Court South, which is requesting to build a 15-foot netting on top of a chain link fence around an athletic field. The school cited safety reasons, but had begun work without pulling the appropriate permits from the city. Council members expressed concern both at the lack of a permit and at the design of the netting, which includes iron bars for stability. The hearing was carried over to allow time for school officials to consult with the city on more attractive ways to install the netting.
  • Waived city permit fees for the Board of Education's construction projects on all five schools that are financed through a $110 million city bond issue.
  • Approved the rezoning of 1700 and 1708 29th Court South from Office Building and Central Business District to Institutional District to allow for the future demolition of the existing building and construction of a new one.
  • Approved up to $750 to share costs with the homeowner at 1808 Mayfair Drive to repair stone work damaged during sidewalk construction.
  • Approved increasing fees for races and other special events held in Homewood from $10 to $50.
  • Approved a sign variance for Shades Creek Dental, 1045 Broadway Park, to have multiple signs. Ward 2 Representative Mike Higginbotham voted against the variance.
  • Approved a contract with Bryant Bank to provide consistent credit card machines across the city's departments.
  • Approved a small cell tower at the corner of Aspen Drive.
  • Approved Jonathan Hunt for another term as an at-large Homewood Environmental Commission member and Keith Stansell to the Ward 5 Park Board seat.
  • Opened applications for an at-large position on the Homewood Environmental Commission for two weeks.
  • Reopened the application period for the Ward 1 Library Board for two weeks to allow time for additional applicants.
  • Reopened applications for the Homewood Downtown Redevelopment Authority (HDRA) and Industrial Development board and the Ward 5 Homewood Environmental Commission seat for an indefinite time due to lack of applicants.