Planning and Development Committee hears about West Homewood development
The city of Homewood’s planning and development committee heard on Monday night a proposal for a development in West Homewood that would bring 10,000 square feet of retail space with both lofts and townhomes to the Econo Lodge property on Oxmoor Road.
The project, located at 195 Oxmoor Road, would bring new locations for El Barrio and Paramount, along with an arcade. Eighteen rental lofts would be built above the commercial space, with 51 townhomes behind it. Village Creek Development owns a portion of the development property and is under contract to purchase the Econo Lodge.
The two issues before the committee were a text amendment to the West Homewood District zoning language and the project’s final development plan.
Tom Walker, who is leading the project, said it will also bring a more permeable surface to the area, as well as sidewalks connecting nearby neighborhoods to the Chevron along Cobb Street.
Councilor Melanie Geer asked about the impact to schools, questioning whether a reported estimate by Walker of 50-55 children at most being added to Homewood City Schools was accurate.
In order for Village Creek Development to pursue the development, the West Homewood District zoning language must be changed to allow townhomes back into the district. The request is to allow townhomes on sites that are at least 3.5 acres and that include some mixed-use development on the property.
In 2019, the Homewood City Council made various changes to the West Homewood District zoning, after residents opposed townhomes on Raleigh Avenue, which were eventually built. Since the townhomes were allowed under the previous zoning language and met code requirements, the Planning Commission and eventually the City Council approved them. Following that vote, the council amended zoning language to limit residential development and promote commercial development.
The committee does not vote on items but sends them out to the full council, which is set to vote on both the text amendment and the final development plan at the April 24 meeting.
Public Safety
There was continued conversation about traffic calming measures on Morris Avenue. Councilor Nick Sims suggested that a three-way stop does not seem to make sense, and there might be a need to install vertical deflection devices, such as speed humps, speed cushions or something similar.
More ideas might be proposed in the future as the city continues to work on a plan to slow down drivers in the area and improve traffic.
The committee also heard from Jefferson County engineers, who are creating a plan to handle impacts to traffic on Kenilworth Drive at Primrose Place during a temporary sewer project. The county is finishing up a project to rehabilitate sanitary sewer services in the area as part of a $2.25 million project. County engineers agreed to place barriers so as to keep children walking to and from school safe, and also said there would be quiet pumps so as to not elevate noise levels in the area.
The project should be finished by the end of June.
Finance
In the finance committee, there was discussion of a proposed change to the Mecca Avenue sidewalk contract, which would eliminate previously proposed plans to stripe the road to reduce its width, as well as remove the previous plan to install raised pavement markers.