Photo by Erin Nelson.
The Homewood High School parking lot on July 15.
The Homewood City Council on Nov. 14 voted unanimously to annex Homewood Board of Education property into the city of Homewood, allowing the school system to move forward with a plan to add more parking at Homewood High School.
The property was gifted to the board by the city of Vestavia Hills years ago and was de-annexed by Vestavia in 2010. Resident Liz Ellaby took issue with the process and said the request for annexation should have come sooner in order to not keep residents “in the dark” about the school system’s plan to add parking on the property.
Council President Alex Wyatt said the only issue before the council was whether or not to annex the property, not what the board could do with the property.
Along with parking to be added to the Lakeshore Parkway side of the high school and the tiered parking, Homewood City Schools Superintendent Justin Hefner previously told The Homewood Star between 150 and 160 parking spaces will be added.
Some residents have expressed environmental concerns with the school system’s parking plan.
In other news, Mayor Patrick McClusky announced the Virciglio family of Piggly Wiggly will be lighting the star during this year’s Christmas parade, set for Dec. 6.
In other business, the council:
- Approved a change order for the 18th Street Revitalization Project for a lower-maintenance grass
- Approved depositing public funds with Region Financial
- Approved street lighting at 121 Hena Street, 105 Marsey Lane, 204 Fairlane Drive, 105 Ridgemoor Drive and 201 Hillmoor Lane
- Carried over a request to work within the right of way on Reese Street, 16th Street and alleys surrounding 1707 Reese Street
- Approved an alcohol license for Social Taco, pending confirmation of a certificate of occupancy, final approval from the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and a letter of no objection from the city’s police and fire departments
- Approved a request for permission to work in city right of way to install a temporary construction fence and to demolish and rebuild a sidewalk at 333 Greensprings Highway
- Approved the removal and replacement of one tree in city right of way at 531 Oxmoor Road
- Carried over discussion of the vacation of right of way at 2901 Central Avenue
- Denied a sign variance request for 2808 18th Street South
- Carried over a sign variance request for 2712 18th Place South
- Dropped a request for a monument sign in the city right of way at 1856 Lancaster Road
- Set a public hearing for Dec. 12 to consider revisions to the city’s tree and landscape ordinance
- Approved vouchers
- Carried over a Nov. 28 public hearing to consider amending the city’s zoning ordinance to include the fence ordinance
- Set a public hearing for Nov. 28 for consideration of a secondary front yard fence setback variance at 1632 28th Avenue South
- Set a public hearing for Nov. 28 for consideration of a secondary front yard fence setback variance and permission to work in the right of way at 1400 Roseland Drive
- Set a public hearing for Nov. 28 for consideration of a commercial front yard fence variance and permission to work in right of way at 217 Oxmoor Circle
