Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
Homewood Councilman Walter Jones leads the council meeting on Monday, Jan. 30, 2024.
The Homewood City Council on Monday night approved changes to the city’s zoning ordinance that, among other things, removed definitions about lodging facilities such as hotels, motels and transient dwellings despite concerns from some in the room.
City Engineer Cale Smith said none of the zoning classifications were changed. Most of the revisions in the ordinance were administrative changes made after receiving input from contractors and business owners in the city, he said.
A zoning ordinance working group was formed with stakeholders from the local construction industry, and that group compiled a 153-page document that eliminated inconsistencies and added clarity while removing vague language to accurately reflect Homewood policies and procedures.
The definitions for hotels, motels or transient dwellings were removed because “those don’t have any impact on the zoning ordinance,” Cale said.
City Attorney Mike Kendrick said those definitions were not needed because they are part of the state statute and could be added later if the council wants.
“You can stay in a hotel so many days, and you’re no longer a guest. You’re a resident,” Kendrick said. “I don’t recall the number of days in the state statute. That was in the old [Homewood] zoning ordinance a number of years back.”
Resident Ravi Patel expressed concern about the ordinance passed Monday night that did not include the deleted lodging definitions.
“It includes the word lodging,” Patel said. “On the matrix that they were referencing during the meeting, it includes the word lodging – lodging exterior access, lodging interior access – but it does not include a definition of lodging. Basically, the council has passed an ordinance without defining what lodging means, what hotel means, any of that.
“This specific class of business — why are we removing it from the zoning code?” he continued. “We deleted the terms hotel and motel and transient. That's an ordinance passed back in 2019, defining transient and what that means. Why are we passing things in 2019 and not including them three years later?”
Councilman Andy Gwaltney moved for the approval of the ordinance as presented. Councilman Andrew Wolverton offered a substitute motion that would have put the deleted definitions back into the ordinance, but the substitute motion failed, and the original motion passed.
Earlier in the same meeting, the council dropped a request to make improvements to the crosswalk at Oxmoor Road and Bridge Lane. Gwaltney said there had been a complaint about more pedestrian traffic crossing the street due to the proximity of Homewood Central Park and a nearby coffee shop.
It was confirmed that the traffic lights have been upgraded to hold all four red lights for pedestrians crossing with no moving traffic. That upgrade removes the need for any further improvements.
In other business, the council:
- Awarded the bid for Reese Street sidewalk improvements to Bulls Construction for $508,000
- Declared a 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe and a 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe surplus items as part of insurance settlements
- Granted a permit for a retaining wall in the right of way adjacent to 1629 25th Terrace S. with the appropriate indemnification agreement
- Gave permission to replace a retaining wall in the right of way at 214 Edgewood Blvd. with the appropriate indemnification agreement.
- Approved a sign variance for South Point Bank at 1720 28th Ave. S.
- Set a public hearing for Feb. 12 to address a requested sign variance for White House Interiors at 1916 28th Ave. S.
- Passed amendments to the city’s sign ordinance.
- Gave approval to an amended development plan for The Edge at 815 Green Springs Highway for a mixed-use development. The plan now reflects a resurvey and subdivision of the 4 acres into two lots to facilitate future development.
- Appointed Bo Seagrist as assistant city clerk and gave him approval to sign documents for the city at Bryant Bank, Iberia Bank, Raymond James and Regions Bank.
- Rezoned 3011 Firefighter Lane from an R-5 attached dwelling unit district to an R-7 attached dwelling unit district. The new zoning allows for the construction of a two-unit townhouse development.
- Renewed the city’s insurance policy with Cobbs Allen Insurance.
- Approved alcoholic beverage licenses for Residence Inn Homewood at 2790 U.S. 280, Toddies at 1919 28th Ave. S., Suite 108, and Hero Doughnuts and Buns at 1726 28th Ave. S.
- Appointed Jeremy Bernstein to the at-large position on the city’s park board.
- Appointed John Geer and Winslow Armstead as supernumeraries on the Board of Zoning Adjustment.
Editor's note: This story was updated at 9:33 a.m. on Jan. 31 to correct the name of a person appointed to the Board of Zoning Adjustment. The people appointed are John Geer and Winslow Armstead.
