Hoover City Council to vote tonight on rezoning 273 acres to prevent apartments along I-459
The Hoover City Council tonight is scheduled to vote on whether to rezone 273 acres along Interstate 459 from apartment use to mostly commercial use, despite adamant objections from U.S. Steel and other property owners.
Hoover planning consultant Bob House, speaking on behalf of the Hoover City Council, has said the land in question — along I-459 between Preserve Parkway and Chapel Lane — has been zoned for apartments since 1984. However, land use patterns have changed over the years and the property is no longer best suited for apartments, House said.
The council has proposed to rezone about 253 acres for commercial use and about 20 acres next to the Paradise Acres community for single-family residential use.
Representatives for U.S. Steel, which owns at least half the 273 acres in question, and other property owners voiced strong opposition to the rezoning, claiming the city is attempting to usurp their rights as property owners.
The Birmingham Association of Realtors also has strongly opposed the rezoning of property without the consent of property owners, saying such actions breeds instability and would stymie development in the city of Hoover and the metro area as a whole.
The Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission voted in favor of the rezoning on Feb. 8, but it needs approval by the Hoover City Council to take effect.