Council to discuss West Homewood development review committee

Residents and retailers in the West Homewood District will soon have to get a committee’s approval for construction and renovation projects. The city council has set a public hearing to approve a community development review committee (CDRC) for the district on April 13.

City engineer Vanessa McGrath said this type of committee is standard for the different zoning districts across the city, and West Homewood is overdue for its committee. The committee will regulate every new project within the district.

“It should have been done when we activated that zoning,” McGrath said.

The CDRC is different from the design review board that was discussed over the summer, which would apply uniform regulations across the city. This committee is district-specific.

At the April 13 meeting, the CDRC’s operating procedures will be discussed by council members and the public. A draft of the procedures states that the CDRC would include five members: Mayor Scott McBrayer, a city council representative, the fire marshal and representatives from the planning commission and the Building, Engineering and Zoning Department.

These members would serve on the board without compensation for the duration of their official tenures. They would be able to attend planning meetings and provide recommendations about programs for public buildings, as well as approve and reject development plans within West Homewood.

The operating procedures also set standards for conducting CDRC meetings. These meetings require 72 hours’ notice and must be held within 21 days of a plan’s submission. At meetings, the applicant can present his or her case, hear public comments and then make a rebuttal statement before the CDRC makes a decision. The public must file a request with the BEZ department to speak at these meetings.

The public hearing will also include discussion of the “request for warrant” form for the proposed CDRC. A warrant allows minor deviations from the district’s zoning code in case of “uncommon hardship and unequal treatment under the strict application” of the code. The request for warrant form governs what variances are allowed, how to prove hardship and how to file for variances.

The April 13 public hearing will be held during the council’s regular meeting at 6 p.m. in City Hall.