Council approves Wildwood development incentives, school demographer

At tonight's meeting, the city council approved an incentive package for Oldacre McDonald, the firm that has purchased and plans to renovate the Wildwood South shopping center.

The plans were first introduced last summer, and include two roundabouts, an inter-parking lot road, the construction of several new retail spaces, new monument signs, additional lighting, new paint, landscaping and metal awnings to replace the current fabric ones. Some work has already been in progress, including a new freestanding Starbucks building that the tenant will take possession of this Wednesday.

The incentive plan approved tonight will split any increase in sales tax revenue on the property equally between the city and Oldacre McDonald. This does not include the percent of the tax allotted to schools, nor sales tax revenue from Walmart and Sam's Club. This agreement will last for 10 years and earnings are capped at up to $5 million in revenue during that time.

Bill Oldacre, who was present tonight, said he remembers the shopping center's "glory days" of the 1990s and believes with renovation and new tenants, it can return to that success. However, he said recent years have given the center something of a reputation problem to overcome.

"I saw that center at its heights, and I saw it on its way down," Oldacre said. "There's no reason it can't be successful."

Since part of the shopping center is in Birmingham city limits, Oldacre McDonald has negotiated a separate incentive package for that area of the property. Birmingham council member Jay Roberson also spoke tonight in support of the incentive agreement.

The council approved the agreement unanimously. They also voted to spend $30,000 from the proceeds of the city's $110 million bond for Homewood City Schools to hire a demographer.

The chosen demographer, Cooperative Strategies, will work for two to three months to determine enrollment projections based on current enrollment, growth rate, economic developments, live birth and population data and housing trends. The demographic results will help the school system determine its plans for expanding its facilities to accommodate student population growth.

Cooperative Strategies has recently worked on similar projects in school systems in Auburn and Huntsville.

The school board is also interviewing project management firms Friday at 9 a.m. for the expansion project. Superintendent Bill Cleveland said they hope to have a decision for the council to approve in early May.

The council also took time out of its meeting to recognize Homewood Fire Department's retiring battalion chief, Brian Bonner. Bonner has served the city for 22 years, rising from a firefighter and paramedic to the battalion chief position.

"He's done an awful lot for the city of Homewood," Mayor Scott McBrayer said. "We love you, we're going to miss you.

Fire Chief John Bresnan said Bonner didn't want "fanfare" for his retirement, so Bresnan took the council meeting as an opportunity to publicly thank him.

"There is not a finer individual who's ever worked in the fire service," Bresnan said.

The council also:

• Appointed Justin Russell to the Ward 1 board of education seat, and Erin Stephenson, daughter of city attorney Mike Kendrick, to the Ward 3 BOE seat. Ward 2 Representative Mike Higginbotham and Ward 5 Representative Jennifer Andress abstained from the vote to approve Stevenson. Higginbotham said after the meeting that he abstained because he liked the current board member in that seat and did not think she should be replaced.
• Approved funding to create schematics for plans to add parking, sidewalks and crosswalks on Central Avenue.
• Approved new streetlights in Rosedale on 17th Place South at 25th Court and on Central Avenue between 27th Avenue South and 27th Court South. Additionally, Ward 1 Representative Britt Thames said members of the Rosedale community have sent letters to owners of properties that could be considered public nuisances due to unsafe or neglected structures. Thames said they're waiting to see the response to these letters before deciding whether to pursue legal abatement proceedings in a month or so.
• Approved a sign variance for McDonald's at 124 State Farm Parkway. The McDonald's is replacing its signs and wants to add two more attached signs than the city ordinance allows.
• Approved three residents to work in the city right-of-way in the alley adjacent to 1504-1508 Melrose Place for better vehicle access.
• Approved declaration of 2827 and 2831 16th Place South public nuisances due to excessive growth and litter.
• Approved Creative Montessori School to work in the city right-of-way at 2800 Montessori Way during the construction of a retaining wall, which will not be in the right-of-way.
• Authorized a voting delegate from the council to attend the Alabama League of Municipalities annual convention in May.
• Approved a contract with Sprint Solutions for communication services.
• Approved the mayor to sign an agreement reassigning the American Tower Lease to Allcom Radio.
• Set a May 8 public hearing to consider a driveway ordinance violation.
• Set a May 8 public hearing to consider a request to rezone 285 Palisades Boulevard from Office Building District to Green Springs Urban Renewal District.