Photo by Erin Nelson. Starnes Media
New businesses are under construction on 18th Street South in downtown Homewood on Monday, Aug. 23, 2021. Photo by Erin Nelson.
Tensions were high between city council members and Homewood residents during the Aug. 23 Homewood City Council meeting.
A public hearing was held regarding the city council’s Heart of Homewood Downtown Master Plan that would adopt new zoning districts and set height restrictions for developers in downtown Homewood to five stories.
“The ideology behind this document is to protect downtown Homewood,” said Alex Wyatt, Council President for Homewood City Council. “I think everyone recognizes how special downtown Homewood is and how important it is to our community, in multiple ways.”
The city council chamber was filled with frustrated and concerned citizens that felt downtown is being encroached upon by developers and that Homewood would be stripped away of what residents think make it special.
“As a Homewood citizen, I think y’all are trying to change downtown and I think there is another agenda behind it - that’s just my personal belief,” said Bernice Hawkins.
“I noticed y’all did change some of the higher intensity that I was going to complain about but I still feel Rosedale’s being encroached upon.”
Hawkins said she believes city council members are trying to “get rid of” Rosedale and was concerned that they are not listening to citizens.
Rev. Edward Steele, pastor of Union Missionary Baptist Church, shared similar concerns. He said Rosedale is already being infringed upon by construction in front of his church and asked city council members to not let it continue.
“Homewood is a great city,” Steele said. “Rosedale is historic... 133 years. Union 134 years. In the same spot, on the same corner for 134 years and I feel like y’all are trying to push Rosedale out of the way.”
Mary Edwards, a Homewood resident, said that there are a number of historic churches in Homewood and feels the history and legacy of Rosedale are being stripped away by developers and council members.
“Why would anybody want to put buildings in our neighborhood where we were born and raised,” said Williams. “Would you want buildings in front of your neighborhood, in front of your church? I don’t think you do.”
Williams said that she is 88 years-old and she doesn’t want to leave Rosedale because it is her home and that the people who live there are not just neighbors but family.
The Homewood Downtown Master Plan has been in development for 33 months after being introduced in 2018. The plan has been sent back to the Planning Commission a number of times and has been sent back to Placemakers - a city planning and design firm - six times.
President Wyatt and other council members reassured Homewood residents that there were no hidden agendas behind the Downtown Plan. Wyatt said the reason the plan has taken so long to finalize is because they wanted input from citizens and thought it was important to adhere to what the people want while also doing what they think is best for the city of Homewood.
Nick Sims and Melanie Geer said that the City Council should halt making a decision on the plan until after flaws and concerns of the plan were addressed. The council needed unanimous consent to move forward with the plan and was not reached, due to a ‘nay’ vote by Geer.
City Council member Jennifer Andress said a proposal to examine entertainment districts did not reach unanimous consent, and discussion over the proposed fiscal year 2022 budget was pushed to next week’s Finance Committee meeting.
The council did approve the $500 purchase of an easement at the U.S. Post Office on 18th Street, allowing the beautification of the west side of that project, which includes new lighting, sidewalks and more.