Homewood City Hall
The Homewood City Council on Aug. 8 carried over a sign variance request for a larger sign from the owners of Dogtopia, located at 1722 27th Court South, due to their property owner’s failure to comply with a city ordinance.
In May, the council ordered an existing pole sign on the property, owned by Tim Coker, to be taken down, in compliance with city law which does not allow for pole signs. The area to include Dogtopia also includes Domestique Coffee and Cahaba Cycles.
The pole sign is still up, noted Councilor Jennifer Andress, who raised the issue during the Dogtopia request. Andress said she did not want to punish the business owners for their landlord’s refusal to comply with city ordinance, which is why she did not suggest making a variance for their business contingent on the sign coming down.
Ultimately, the council, with the exception of Melanie Geer, who voted “no” and John Hardin, who abstained, voted to carry the item over to the Aug. 22 meeting to give Coker time to take the sign down before the owners of Dogtopia returned to request a variance for their sign.
“I feel like we’re asking these biz owners to handle our problem, which is not getting Mr. Coker to take his sign down,” Geer said. “If everybody disagrees with me, that’s fine. I prefer to give them their variance, which it sounds like we’re leaning toward anyway. This other issue is separate.”
Council President Alex Wyatt said a variance is given to the property owner, not the business owner, making it difficult for the city to grant a variance if the owner is not in compliance. Other than suing or arresting Coker, there is no other recourse to the city, and there are no plans to take either of those actions, Wyatt said.
The council also carried over the possible approval of a $6.7 million bid for Phase II of the Shades Creek Greenway project, as the city has not received the invoice, Wyatt said.
In other business, the council:
Set a Sept. 12 public hearing to consider condemning 2562 18th Street South
Dropped a request for a presentation of an APPLE study for East Central Avenue improvements
Carried over discussion over a vacation of right of way at 16th Street adjacent to 2901 Central Avenue
Carried over until the Sept. 12 public hearing consideration of annexing 314 Happy Lane
Sent a request to amend the city’s zoning ordinance to include the fence ordinance to the planning and development committee
Declared 464 Cornelius Drive a public nuisance due to excessive growth
Approved a sign variance at 1831 28th Avenue South, Suite 175, the future home of Social Taco, next to City Hall
Approved a sign variance at 333 Green Springs Highway for Chase Bank
Carried over a Nov. 14 public hearing for the annexation of property at Homewood High School into city limits
Approved a roughly $9,400 credit on the 18th Street revitalization project
Approved declaring some vehicles surplus
Approved budget amendments
Approved Mayor Patrick McClusky to sign a contract for services for The Bell Center
Approved mile markers and signage for the Lakeshore Trail
Set a Sept. 12 public hearing and referral to the planning and development committee to consider removing a conditional planned residential district zoning restriction from 1116 Hollywood Manor Drive
Set a bid date of Sept. 12 for Mecca Avenue and Delcris Drive sidewalks, as well as the stormwater culvert replacement on Huntington Road
Approved vouchers
