Metro Roundup: Next steps revealed for The Bray in Vestavia Hills

After more than a year without any major update on the proposed 700-acre development in Liberty Park called The Bray, Vestavia Hills City Manager Jeff Downes announced Jan. 10 that a new development agreement for the development is being finalized.

Following the initial presentation of the $860 million proposed development in late 2020, which included the addition of a major commercial development called The Bray Town Center and nearly 1,900 residential units, several town hall meetings were held.

Liberty Park Joint Venture hired Daniel Communities to create the plan and hold the public meetings. Residents expressed concern about the addition of multifamily housing, with most of the comments centered around the impact to the Vestavia Hills school system.

To accommodate those responses, Daniel, along with a legal team and Downes, created a new development agreement, which is just one of many proposals that will have to be approved by the Vestavia Hills City Council before becoming a reality. The agreement is scheduled to be presented to the council in a Jan. 24 work session, followed by presentations to the public on Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. and in early February at noon. While the February date was initially set for Feb. 7, the city’s communications director, Cinnamon McCulley, said that date was likely to change.

Following those meetings, the council would vote on the proposed agreement, along with an amendment to Liberty Park’s annexation agreement, at the Feb. 28 City Council meeting.

The council will also, at some point in the future, have to approve a public-private partnership, the dedication of roads and infrastructure, various planned urban district agreements and zoning entitlements, Downes said.

“This is not a one-stop shop with one agreement moving forward,” Downes said.

McCulley said the development agreement is still in the draft phase and would be made publicly available on Jan. 24 when the council hears the agreement for the first time. The agreement will be placed online, and there will also be a forum for questions on the agreement posted on Vestavia Hills Listens.

Also at the Jan. 24 meeting, a representative with Vestavia Hills City Schools is scheduled to brief the council on the school system's role in the development.

The city’s annual strategic planning session was set for Feb. 21-22, going from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 21 and from 8 a.m. until finished the next day.

CITY COUNCIL MEETING

At the City Council meeting, the council approved a new sanitation agreement with Amwaste. The agreement does not change any service terms or times and was created to reflect Vestavia entering the contract as part of the Cahaba Solid Waste Authority, which includes Hoover, Pelham, Fultondale and Clanton (as of Feb. 1, 2022).

Being part of the authority allows the city to reduce their yearly rate by about $160,000, McCulley said. The city is also locked into its rate for about 10 years but can terminate the contract with cause if needed, Downes said.

City Engineer Christopher Brady encouraged the public to give their feedback on the city’s stormwater management program plan by Jan. 24. The plan can be viewed here, and comments can be sent to Brady at cbrady@vhal.org.

Ed Norton with HNP Landscape Architects gave an update on several city projects. At Wald Park, there are no delays in the project to replace natural grass with artificial turf, and shade structures should be delivered in late January. The ball fields should be finished by late February, Norton said.

At the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex, the turf is being replaced at the soccer fields, Norton said. At Cahaba Heights Park, the dog park pavilion is being installed, and the dog wash will be set up after that is finished, Norton said.

In other business, the council reappointed Robert Thompson and Mae Coshatt to the Design Review Board and declared a police vehicle surplus.