Commission recommends non-approval for townhome proposal

The Homewood Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend the City Council not approve a request to rezone 3101 Overton Drive to facilitate a four-unit townhome development at its Dec. 13 meeting, following a litany of public comments against the proposal.

Virginia Allen, the owner of the property, said the intent was to allow both her and future tenants to “age in place,” meaning there would be wider doors, walk-in showers and tubs and other features more suited to elderly residents.

However, members of the commission told Allen she could simply tear down her existing home and rebuild it to allow her to age in place, and sided with multiple neighbors concerned with the impact of the proposal on stormwater issues, population density and the future of the neighborhood, currently zoned neighborhood preservation district. Allen is seeking a rezoning to attached dwelling unit zoning. While the commission opposed the request, it only serves as a recommendation to the City Council, which will vote at an upcoming meeting whether to accept that recommendation.

Allen noted that her property is adjacent to other attached dwelling unit zoning in the Oxmoor Road area and said an alley adjacent to the property would only be used to access garages that lead to elevators in the townhomes. She said the requested zoning was the “most logical” choice for the city and said having housing for aging residents is a need in Homewood.

Architect Jim Sransky, who is working with Allen, said they didn’t want to do anything to “overpower” Overton Drive and wanted to “preserve” the property. If it was not rezoned, a future owner could put in a single-family home that does not match what surrounds it, he said.

However, one neighbor said that is preferable to having a multi-unit development that increases the population density. Neighbor Jim Shaw said the intersection of Overton Drive and Oxmoor Road is already a “stressed” street, so designated by the city with “local traffic only” and other similar signage. Shaw said the street was not intended to support attached dwelling unit lots and traffic.

Dr. Walt Johnson, another neighbor, raised stormwater concerns, saying the attached dwelling unit zoning had no limitations on pervious surfaces, whereas NPD zoning restricts pervious surfaces on a single property to 50% of the total area.

The commission heard from nine residents, all of whom opposed the proposal, at the meeting. Another neighbor brought a map that indicated, according to him, every neighbor around Allen opposed the development. The commission also received 58 letters of opposition, said the commission’s council liaison, Jennifer Andress.

Andress said while the commission understands the desire to age in place, Allen could tear down her home and make it a better fit for herself.

The commission approved a request from the Chick-Fil-A at 211 Lakeshore Parkway to modify the Wildwood Centre South Development Plan. The amendment allows Chick-Fil-A to construct a new, 73-spot parking lot at the former Taco Bell restaurant at 213 Lakeshore Parkway. Chick-Fil-A is leasing that space, with Taco Bell set to be demolished. To offset drive-thru congestion, the drive-thru lane will be extended an additional 30 feet into the second parking lot, a representative from the restaurant said. While it was previously reported to be moving, the dumpster will not be moved from next to Chick-Fil-A, the representative said.

The commission also approved a request by Dawson Memorial Baptist Church to amend their final development plan to facilitate a desired redevelopment of some of their buildings. A representative said the church wants to demolish their existing west building and raise it to the floor elevations of the sanctuary as part of a larger effort to make the church more ADA-accessible. The church also plans to build a connector between the east commons and the main building, as well as creating elevator lobbies and converting an outdoor patio to a vestibule. The church will lose 11 to 15 parking spaces total with the change, but there is no reason to expect traffic will be impacted, the representative said.