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Council hears from residents about roof heights, purchases West Homewood lot

by

Sydney Cromwell

The city council took commentary from 15 different residents regarding changes to Neighborhood Preservation District height regulations, but ultimately delayed making a decision on the amended ordinance.

This was the second chance for the public to express their opinion on the proposed changes, which would include restricting roof height to 32 feet or less for buildings on lots 55 feet wide or smaller and 35 feet for larger lots in the Neighborhood Preservation District. Other amendments include minimum side setbacks of five feet and nine feet for homes on lots 55 feet wide or smaller and setbacks of 10 feet on each side for larger lots. The amendment also changes the way roof heights are measured, to measure from the front door threshold to the highest parapet.

Most of the residents at the meeting spoke in favor of tighter restrictions than those proposed. They argued that taller houses do not fit with the look of NPD neighborhoods that had originally appealed to many of them when they bought their homes, and that the limit for homes on 55-foot or smaller lots should be brought down to 29 feet, or even shorter. Some also said the construction of new, taller homes could hurt the value of their older, smaller houses, and that homeowners wanting larger houses should find other neighborhoods in Homewood that fit that scale.

A few spoke in favor of the proposed changes, saying that limiting the height too much has the potential to reduce variety among houses or encourage builders to create flat roofs in order to fit a second story within the height limits. 

Overall, there was a consensus that more discussion was needed to fully understand the implications of the proposed changes and possible tighter restrictions.

Ward 2 Representative Fred Hawkins said that while there could be more discussion on the exact numbers of the amendments, the overall goal of the council was to put a height cap in place quickly to prevent more homes being built that would not fit under new criteria.

The council voted to take up the issue in the Sept. 6 planning and development committee meeting, which is open to the public.

At the same Aug. 29 meeting, the council voted to issue and sell warrants up to $4.25 million in order to purchase a 15-acre lot at 123 West Oxmoor Road, which is next to West Homewood Park. Council President Bruce Limbaugh said the opportunity to purchase the property came up quickly and the council has not made a final decision how to use the property. With Homewood's youth leagues overflowing capacity, Limbaugh said it is possible the land could create space for additional playing fields.

The council also:

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