Planning Commission recommends West Homewood rezoning

In its regular meeting on April 14, the Homewood City Council could vote on rezoning 24 parcels of land into the West Homewood District.

During its meeting April 1, the Homewood Planning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend the rezoning to the Council. It would bring properties along Oxmoor Road, Oak Grove Road and Scott Street into the new district in accordance with a form-based code approved in 2013.

According to the code, the document's intention is “to ensure that development projects, public and private, in the West Homewood District exhibit the highest standards of urban design, and create a form that is compact, walkable and mixed-use in character.”

“This would give uniform zoning to area,” Homewood Senior Planner Vanessa McGrath said. “There are items in it that give restrictions, but it allows property owners to pick what they want their building to look like and follow the code to make it look like that.”

Planning Commission members heard from residents of the area, most in support of creating the district. However, numerous concerns were raised about how it would affect their properties. Traffic was the most frequent topic brought before the commission.

“We’re serious about it,” Council and Planning Commission member Fred Hawkins said about the issues raised. “We listen, and we’re attacking everything you’ve said, so keep letting us hear you.”

Hawkins said the rezoning recommendation would go before the Council’s Planning and Development Committee, where issues of building height and density in the district would be reviewed leading up to a possible vote on the rezoning later this month.

For more, visit westhomewoodplan.com.