Raleigh Avenue townhomes approved despite resident objection

The Planning Commission approved a development plan for a set of six townhomes at the corner of Raleigh Avenue and Oak Grove Road on June 4, after the owner made a number of modifications to his plans.

The townhomes are allowed under the West Homewood District zoning and met all code requirements, which is the criteria the Planning Commission must use in making decisions. The vote was 7-1, with City Council liaison Britt Thames voting against the townhomes and Mark Woods absent.

Residents of West Homewood came to both the June and May meetings where the townhomes were discussed and were overwhelmingly opposed to the development. At the public hearing in May, their main points of opposition were the size and appearance of the townhomes, additional traffic congestion and how it would match the rest of the neighborhood, which is primarily single-family homes.

The Planning Commission did not allow more public comment at the June meeting, but many in the audience voiced their disapproval after the vote. The townhome project and backlash to it has prompted West Homewood’s City Council representatives, Mike Higginbotham and Andrew Wolverton, to pursue some changes to the district’s zoning rules.

Developer Jay Moss said his plans for the building include two-story, 1,500-square-foot townhomes with 12 parking spaces. He noted that the property had been zoned for multi-family housing prior to the creation of the West Homewood zoning district.

He said the building will have front and rear porches, a brick front façade and siding on the other faces. At the request of the Planning Commission, Moss also committed to make the side facing Raleigh Avenue look more like a front façade.

He also committed to move the parking lot, which includes 12 spaces, back another foot from the property line to meet setback requirements and to make any adjustments needed for the driveway to meet code requirements.

In May, the Planning Commission asked Moss to bring back information about the development’s impact on stormwater runoff, traffic and trees.

Moss said on June 4 that he did not complete a hydrology study but he decided to add an underground retention pond to the plans for better collection of runoff.

At the recommendation of Building, Engineering and Zoning Department employee Greg Cobb, Moss said he did not complete a traffic study. Cobb said other developments in the area, such as Pizzeria GM and the new West Homewood Pool, were approved without traffic studies, and he felt the addition of six new families will not make a noticeable difference in congestion around Oak Grove Road compared to those busier developments.

While the West Homewood District has its own landscaping requirements, Cobb said the citywide tree ordinance is stricter and the townhome development must abide by it. That tree ordinance includes that if five or more “heritage” trees — having a caliper, or diameter, of 14 inches or more — will be cut down by a development, the plan must come before the city council for approval.

Moss said his plans include the removal of four trees that meet that description, but he plans to add six new trees to the property based on the city’s calculation of how many he needs to meet the tree ordinance requirements.

Unlike developments in other areas of the city, properties in the West Homewood District zoning can be approved by the Planning Commission and do not go to the Homewood City Council for approval. This is one of the potential changes to the District’s zoning code that Higginbotham would like to see.

Cobb also said the Planning Commission had been mistaken in May that this was a preliminary development plan and Moss would also have to bring a final development plan in the future. Under the West Homewood District, the plan presented on June 4 was the only one Moss will need to bring, though Cobb said the city can ensure he follows through on his proffered modifications during the building permit and inspection process.

After the vote, Moss said he intends to start construction around late July, and each townhome will sell for under $300,000. The development will include a homeowners association to maintain the property.

The Planning Commission was also supposed to discuss a proposed commercial development on 18th Street South at its June meeting, but developer Jared Lewis asked to delay until the July meeting to make some adjustments to his plans.

Lewis had presented plans in May to turn 1728 and 1736 26th Ave. S. and 2552, 2558, 2562 and 2564 18th St. S. into a set of two three-story buildings, with an existing two-story brick building between them. The new buildings had a modern design and would have had two stories of office and commercial space and lofts on the third story.

However, Rosedale residents also strongly opposed this development, saying that the size, design and use of the buildings were all incompatible with the surrounding neighborhood. After the meeting, Lewis agreed to meet with homeowners to hear and discuss their concerns in more detail.

Rosedale organized a meeting on June 2 at the Lee Community Center. There, Lewis presented a redesign of his plans. The new buildings, while still three stories and measuring 43 feet tall, would have a more traditional brick design and would have residences on the second and third stories, with the first story spaces for retail or small office.

Lewis also committed to widening part of 26th Avenue South to add new trees and 17 parallel parking spaces along the road.

Some of the resident concerns at the Lee Center meeting were the same: how the size and design of the building would impact neighbors, the historic nature of Rosedale and how to get commercial tenants that would benefit the area without causing overwhelming traffic.

They also asked about plans for a residential property Lewis owns behind the future site of these two buildings. Lewis said that will be a future project but there are not set plans yet.

One Rosedale man said he wanted the neighborhood to have monument signs or another “gateway” to let people know they’re entering the historic neighborhood. Lewis said he supported that idea, though that gateway would likely be located somewhere nearby rather than on his property.

Lewis will present his modified plan and request rezoning from C-2 Neighborhood Shopping District to Mixed Use District on July 9.

The Planning Commission also:

• Approved redrawing property lines between 205 and 207 Bonita Drive to swap ownership of two portions of the land between the homeowners.
• Approved Wheelhouse Salon to combine two parcels it owns at 2902 and 2904 Linden Ave., both occupied by the salon, in order to connect the two buildings with a new reception area. The project will still meet city parking requirements.