Council funds traffic study of city intersections

The city council approved a $100,000 traffic study of major intersections throughout Homewood at its June 12 meeting.

The traffic study was coordinated through the Metropolitan Planning Organization, with Homewood providing 20 percent of the funding and ALDOT providing 80 percent. In April, Richard Caudle of Skipper Consulting presented four options to the planning and development committee for the city to pursue with the study.

The council chose an intersection improvement study, in which the consultants will study about eight intersections and provide improvement options for better traffic flow. The intersections would likely be chosen by asking for input from council and residents on the areas of greatest concern.

Now that the city has approved the work, they will select a consultant. Skipper presented the initial options to the council and has done a similar intersection study in Mountain Brook, but the city is not bound to select them as consultants for the project.

The council also entered executive session for roughly 40 minutes at the end of the June 12 meeting to discuss pending litigation. The special issues committee also entered executive session last week to discuss litigation during a conversation about Buffalo Rock's ongoing failure to correct noise and odor problems at their West Homewood plant, as the council is considering new ordinances and possibly legal action to resolve the matter. Upon returning from executive session on June 12, council members did not provide more information on the reason for the session.

The council also:

• Approved rezoning 2756 BM Montgomery St. to amend the Mixed Use District development plan, allowing the property owner to enlarge an existing building. The property owner planned to build apartments in two existing buildings, but one required a complete demolition and rebuilding, and the owner requested to build a larger, two-story structure in its place.
• Approved use of Iberia Bank as depository for the $110 million bond funds, which will be split into three accounts for the three major projects funded by the bond: school system expansion, parks improvements and a new public safety headquarters.
• Approved funding for the city clerk's office to employ a service to scan and upload resolutions and ordinances into an online, accessible database.
• Approved an on or off premises table wine license to Classic Wine Company at 1920 29th Ave. S. A similar request for the company's second location, 1831 28th Ave. S., Suite N110, was sent to the public safety committee for consideration.
• Approved a $25,000 high deductible workman's comp agreement.
• Set June 26 public hearings for sign ordinance variance requests at 2738 18th St. S. and 1944 28th Ave. S.
• Set June 26 public hearings for fence ordinance variance requests at 1526 Roseland Drive and 531 Clermont Drive.
• Set a July 10 public hearing for consideration of changes to the zoning ordinance regarding the office building district zoning.
• Carried over a public hearing for a sign ordinance variance at One Lakeshore Parkway.
• Referred a request for a crosswalk across Windsor Drive at Lakeshore Drive to the public safety committee.
• Referred a request for an additional $11,000 for landscaping at ServisFirst's new headquarters to the finance committee.
• Dropped a sign ordinance variance request at 400 Green Springs Highway due to a lack of contact with property owners.
• Dropped a rezoning application for 819 Green Springs Highway, as the property owners wish to submit a new application in a few months when more details are available.