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Hoover zoning board delays decision on Bluff Park rezoning case

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Map courtesy of city of Hoover

Photo by Jon Anderson

Photo by Jon Anderson

Photo by Jon Anderson

Photo by Jon Anderson

Longtime Bluff Park resident Don Bennett and his fiancee, Lyn Culwell, for two years have been planning to open a gift shop or coffee shop along Park Avenue in Bluff Park behind the On a Shoestring business.

But the need for additional parking led to the purchase of four more lots, and Bennett now is seeking approval to rezone three of the lots from residential use to commercial use to make their dream of a commercial development there come true.

The modified plan calls for the creation of a set of shops or a restaurant at the corner of Park Avenue and Valley Street with 15 new public parking spaces along Park Avenue and additional parking off Valley Street.

Right now, the lots contain a building that previously was a residence and then a landscaping business, another residence, a foundation for an old barn shed and two empty lots, Bennett said.

Bennett tonight took his rezoning request before the Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission.

Their plan is to create a commercial space that is in keeping with the quaint nature of that part of Bluff Park, he said. Several nearby neighbors said they weren’t necessarily against commercial development there, but they have concerns about the way it might be done.

Bennett’s plan called for a parking lot with as many as 40 parking spaces along Valley Street. Nick Hollingsworth, who lives next to one of the lots on Valley Street, questioned whether both lots along Valley were really needed for the development to occur. He would like to maintain a good buffer between his property and the development, he said.

Carol and Carlos Vizcaino, who live off Shades Crest Road, said the proposed development is right behind their home and they are concerned about traffic flow, lighting, noise and garbage pickup. They wanted to see more specifics about what Bennett has in mind.

Photo by Jon Anderson

Brian Hilson, another resident on Shades Crest Road, said he agrees that residential may not be the best zoning for Bennett’s property anymore. It would be worthwhile to consider rezoning it for commercial use if the development is done right, he said. But he, too, has concerns about lighting, garbage pickup, the volume of parking needed and traffic movements to and from the proposed parking areas.

In particular, he thinks cars backing out of angled spaces on Park Avenue would be a problem.

Hoover City Engineer Rodney Long said the suggested angled parking on Park Avenue is typical of a downtown parking area and similar to what exists nearby at Bluff Park Elementary School. People tend to drive slower in that section of Park Avenue because they are approaching an intersection, Long said.

Jack Marshall, a resident on Valley Street, said he’s not necessarily opposed to commercial development on the corner of Park and Valley, but the C-2 community business district zoning being requested is less restrictive than some other commercial zoning classifications, he said.

Bennett, or someone who might buy the property from Bennett in the future, could put light poles 25 to 30 feet tall or a business with a drive-through in a C-2 zoning district, Marshall said.

Bennett said that is not his intention. He would keep the parking and lighting to a minimum so as not to disturb neighbors, and he is planning to use red gravel for the parking lot instead of standard asphalt pavement to fit in with the quaint nature of the community.

The gravel parking lot also would work better with that particular piece of property because the lots on Valley Street don’t perk well and water flowing off asphalt could create a problem there, he said.

Hoover Councilman Mike Shaw, who sits on the Planning and Zoning Commission, said he shares Marshall’s concerns about C-2 zoning. The city has had issues with C-2 zoning next to residential property in other parts of the city.

Shaw said that, while Bennett’s plan sounds like a cool idea, he’s very hesitant to approve C-2 zoning without more restrictions on the property. Bennett could change his mind about what he wants or sell the land to someone else who has a different mindset, Shaw said.

Hoover City Administrator Allan Rice, another member of the zoning board, said Bennett’s plan is going in the direction that a lot of people in Bluff Park would like to see in terms of positive redevelopment.

The draft version of the city’s comprehensive plan calls for similar redevelopment, and Bluff Park needs that type of energy, Rice said. “I think we have a chance for something really, really right here and positive for everybody.”

However, Rice recommended the zoning board hold off on considering this request tonight and allow Bennett more time to work with City Planner Mac Martin to develop a more detailed plan that addresses some of the neighbors’ concerns.

Rice said additional restrictions might could be achieved with covenants that will go with the land if it is ever sold. Bennett agreed to work with Martin and come back to the zoning board at its March 11 meeting.

In other business tonight, the Planning and Zoning Commission:

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