Council approves plans for Green Springs property purchase, tree planting bid

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The city of Homewood is making plans for a property purchase on Green Springs Highway for the future construction of a new fire station.

The City Council approved consideration of the property at its July 22 meeting, though city attorney Mike Kendrick said at the July 15 finance committee meeting that due diligence on the property is still underway.

If due diligence is satisfactory, Kendrick said the city will close on the property, located between the Publix shopping center and Taipei 101, by Sept. 1. The purchase would cost the city $575,000.

Ward 3 Councilor Walter Jones said on July 15 that the property would be the new home of Fire Department Station 2, currently located on Carr Avenue. The existing station would stay open until its new building is complete.

Also on July 22, the City Council approved a bid from Endless Summer Landscapes to plant around 62 trees this fall under the direction of the Homewood Environmental Commission. The cost is $914 per tree and Homewood City Schools would pay for eight of those trees, which will be planted at Shades Cahaba Elementary.

About $4,800 of the tree planting will be moved to the 2020 budget year, which starts Oct. 1, as the HEC budget is not large enough for the entire proposed planting.

Henry Hughes, who has worked with the city on many tree and landscaping matters, said the HEC has found 10 “high profile” spots around Homewood to place the trees, where they’ll have a good chance of surviving.

The council also:

  • Asked Hallman Hill apartments, which is rebranding to The Eastbury condominiums, to bring a new sign request that better fits the city’s sign ordinance. The complex, which is renovating to sell its condo units, requested a sign variance to put up three oversized real estate signs — one with information and two with artwork — outside the building. After hearing concerns from council members on the design of the signs and how long they’ll be up, the complex’s representative said she would bring revised plans to the City Council’s special issues committee for consideration at its next meeting.
  • Approved a new ordinance prohibiting the blockage of driveways with vehicles, bicycles, trash, debris or other items, with the cost of removal or towing charged to the person responsible for blocking the driveway.
  • Approved a change of a budgeted Building, Engineering and Zoning Department position from building inspection officer to plumbing, mechanical and gas inspection officer, to allow the department to hire from a Jefferson County Personnel Board list of qualified applicants that better suit the city’s staffing need.
  • Accepted a donation of $750 from Kiwanis Homewood to dedicate the new crosswalk on Shades Creek Parkway, in front of the Marriott Hotel, in honor of Kenneth Sherwood Ebaugh, a Kiwanis member who passed away in January.
  • Added two roads to the city sidewalk project list: 28th Avenue South from Creative Montessori School to Central Avenue, and Oak Grove Road from Southpointe Drive to Hall Avenue.
  • Approved an agreement with DataTech911 to provide emergency 911 services.
  • Approved participation as an Official Fan Guide Sponsor for the January 2020 Birmingham Bowl, which costs $1,000.
  • Declared certain library items as surplus to be sold.
  • Changed the date of a bid opening for a city insurance agent from Aug. 12 to Aug. 26.
  • Set an Aug. 26 public hearing to consider rezoning 3021 Firefighter Lane from R-5 to R-4 (both attached dwelling unit zonings) for the owner to develop one new home and renovate an existing home on the two lots within the parcel. The R-4 zoning permits detached residential units, while R-5 does not.
  • Appointed Jonathan Lambert to the Ward 3 Historic Preservation Commission seat and Barry Copeland to the Ward 4 Library Board seat.
  • Opened applications for the at-large Historic Preservation Commission seat through Aug. 26. This is a mayor-appointed position, and applications can be sent to the City Clerk’s office.