Council approves agreements for Patriot Park sidewalk, Shades Creek Greenway

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The Homewood City Council made decisions that move two pedestrian projects — the Patriot Park connector sidewalk and Phase II of the Shades Creek Greenway — forward at its Nov. 5 meeting.

Council members voted unanimously to fund $5,000 to pay for easements for the properties that will be affected by the construction of the sidewalk from Hillmoor Lane to Patriot Park. The proposed route would impact two homeowners' properties on Hillmoor, as well as the culvert between them.

Ward 2 Representative Mike Higginbotham said the agreements with these homeowners must be signed and the city also needs to bid out the project. No date has been set to begin construction.

The council also approved an "assurance of performance" document for Jefferson County as part of its work to secure the last piece of right-of-way access for the Shades Creek Greenway's next construction phase.

This phase would continue the greenway from its current western endpoint to the Wildwood area. The project has been stalled for several years due to difficulty in obtaining access to build in the rights-of-way of a number of properties along the proposed path.

In September, the council approved funds to purchase the final two rights-of-way. The last piece is budgeted to cost $31,000.

Ward 5 Councilor Jennifer Andress and Ward 1 Councilor Britt Thames said the document approved at the Nov. 5 meeting allows the city to access the property for surveys and begin design work with Goodwyn Mills Cawood, though the purchase will take a couple more months to complete.

Andress said construction on the next phase of the greenway could begin in the second quarter of 2018.

The council also:

  • Approved changes to the city's business license fee structure. More details can be found here.
  • Approved new regulations requiring food trucks to leave the city each night after certain operating hours and preventing them from setting up semi-permanent structures. The council amended the permitted hours of operation to 7 a.m.-11 p.m. every day.
  • Approved a $1.2 million loan from Bryant Bank, to be paid off over five years, for the purchase of several city vehicles, including a tactical van and two other vehicles for the Homewood Police Department.
  • Approved $34,000 to add Homewood stops to the Magic City Connector Route, which travels 21st Street downtown. Thames said all stops on 18th Street South from Central Avenue to Valley Avenue would be added to the route.
  • Changed the hearing date for changes to the city's zoning ordinance from Nov. 26 to Dec. 3. More details are available here.
  • Approved 3-hour time limits for parking spots on 29th Avenue South and 19th Place South.
  • Approved a contract with Neopost for processing and mailing services.
  • Approved renewal of property and casualty insurance coverage from Travelers Insurance, as well as authorization for the city's insurance consultant to shop in the marketplace for better rates.
  • Approved a memorandum of understanding with Jefferson County for debris removal in case of inclement weather.
  • Carried over discussion of declaring 1509 Beckham Drive a public nuisance due to litter, overgrowth and open storage. Neighbors spoke and said the house has been a repeated problem, from unsafe or unsightly conditions to removal of neglected dogs. Codes officer Scott Cook said the owner is in poor health but attempting to address the issue, so he asked the council to give two additional weeks to bring the property into compliance.
  • Denied a sign variance for 3055 Independence Drive to add multiple attached signs for a new tenant. The vote was 2-8, with Ward 5 Councilor Peter Wright and Council President Bruce Limbaugh as the only "yes" votes. Ward 3 Councilor Walter Jones was absent.
  • Denied a sign variance for Beauty Trendz salon at 201 Green Springs Highway. The owners have requested a variance to make their attached sign bigger than the city allows, but council members noted the building could add a monument sign for additional visibility without breaking city regulations. The vote was 3-7, with Wright, Limbaugh and Ward 4 Councilor Barry Smith voting "yes."
  • Dropped a sign variance request at 813 Green Springs, as the request was the same as the one at 201 Green Springs Highway, but was mistakenly made at a second address.
  • Set Nov. 19 public hearings for a fence variance request at 417 Crest Drive and a sign variance request at Little Professor Bookstore, 2844 18th St. S.
  • Set a Dec. 6 bid opening date to purchase a police tactical van.