Photo by Solomon Crenshaw, Jr.
The intersection of Morris Boulevard and Sterrett Avenue.
Homewood residents near the intersection of Morris Boulevard and Sterrett Avenue are hopeful they will get what they want after Monday’s meeting of the City Council’s public safety committee.
Following resident concerns, the committee recommended changing the intersection to the configuration it had prior to changes made about two years ago. The entire council must still approve the recommendation.
Committee chairman Andy Gwaltney said changes were made to cause motorists to pause at the triangular intersection in an effort to get them to slow down.
“It was effective but it had created some effects and headaches logistically on the street for the residents,” Gwaltney said. “That's kind of how it came back up. I think they had asked their councilors in that ward for a review of the implementation, and for some changes.”
The initial changes placed a stop sign on an island in the street, along with some striping configuration changes. Residents were concerned that those changes reduced parking on the street and “caused some odd traffic behaviors that they felt were not conducive to the neighborhood,” Gwaltney said.
“They're going to take the traffic island piece and we're going to revert it back to the original ordinance,” he said. “We rolled it back to the way it was before, which was their request. It changes the current configuration back to the previous stop sign configuration.”
At least one resident lobbied for a triangular roundabout at the intersection.
The committee also approved the installation of a crosswalk on Valley Avenue at Beckham Drive and the installation of bulbs out and rectangular rapid flashing beacons at Shades Road and Broadway Street.
Finance
The finance committee authorized Mayor Patrick McClusky to sign a funding agreement for the Central Avenue TAP Grant Project.
The Federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) provides funding for surface transportation projects such as on- and off-road pedestrian and bicycle facilities, infrastructure projects for improving non-driver access to public transportation and enhanced mobility, community improvement activities, environmental mitigation and safe routes to school projects.
Homewood’s application for the grant called for $75,200 in federal TAP funds with the city providing $18,800 for preliminary engineering. The application had the city paying $172,710 and the federal TAP $690,840 for construction.
City Engineer Cale Smith reminded the committee that figures in the application were the most that could be sought and the cost of the project will certainly be more.
“The city will be on the hook for more,” he said. “Probably in a month or so, I’ll come back with an engineering agreement with Sain (Engineering) to execute that.”
The committee agreed to accept a grant from the discretionary fund of Jefferson County Commissioner Steve Ammons. That money will be used to provide outdoor shading in Homewood.
Council member Jennifer Andress said the city’s tennis program has exploded in popularity but there is no shade at the tennis center at West Homewood Park, adding that there is currently a lack of seating as well.
“This is going to include seating as well,” she said.
Public Works
Melanie Geer said she is not against trees.
“I love trees,” the councilwoman said, “but I also understand what our public works (department) goes through in both tree maintenance but … more importantly in sidewalk maintenance, and in curb and street maintenance as these trees outgrow their spot.”
Geer was part of the majority that voted 3-2 to deny permission to sign an indemnification agreement for work performed in the right of way at 610 Broadway.
“The trees, at full maturity, are going to be too big for the spot,” Greer said. “You just have to be real careful. Everybody wants a tree. Everybody wants a pretty tree but a lot of times we can't put them too close to the street or to the sidewalks.”
Keilah Smith and her husband had planted trees in the right-of-way before being told that they should have gotten permission to do so.
“Somebody in the city drove by while we were planting them or right after we planted them and told us that we're not allowed to do that because it's in the right-of-way,” Smith said. “That's why we came here, to ask permission retroactively.”
Going forward, the Smiths will have to continue to seek approval or remove the trees.
