City of Hoover to do new traffic study for Inverness shopping center

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The city of Hoover has agreed to pay for a new traffic study for a new shopping center coming to Inverness in response to resident concerns, but it’s uncertain whether the new study will actually have an impact because the developer already has approval to proceed.

Alumni Properties and Investments plans to build 200,000 square feet of retail shopping space at the corner of Valleydale Road and Inverness Center Drive, across from Inverness Corners and next to Inverness Plaza. The development is to be anchored by a big-box membership store identified by residents as BJ’s Wholesale Club, which offers groceries, electronics and other items in bulk in a warehouse-like space.

The developer already agreed to a modified traffic plan that would ban delivery truck traffic from traveling on Inverness Center Drive, but some residents in four residential communities off Inverness Center Drive say they’re concerned about customer traffic on Inverness Center Drive as well.

Numerous residents told the Hoover City Council in a public forum at Hoover City Hall Thursday night they believe Inverness Center Drive will be used as a shortcut for traffic coming to and from the new development, now being called 280 Valleydale.

They’re concerned about the increase in traffic especially because there already are sight-distance problems on the road and the average age of people in two of the communities is at least 80, resident Gary Kitchen said.

Residents asked the city of Hoover to eliminate a planned access point for the development on Inverness Center Drive.

Blake Miller, the city of Hoover’s chief operating officer, said the city is willing to pay for a traffic study to evaluate the impact eliminating that access point would have on roads in the area, such as Valleydale Road.

He wants to wait until after school starts back to get fresh traffic counts as part of that study, he said. Once the new study is completed, Hoover officials would need to consult with Shelby County traffic engineers to get their opinion as well, he said.

But the fact remains that the developer already has had a traffic plan approved by the city of Hoover, Shelby County and the Alabama Department of Transportation, and the city of Hoover already has approved a site plan for the development.

Keith Owens, the managing partner for Alumni Properties, said Thursday night that Shelby County officials did not want to eliminate the access point on Inverness Center Drive because it would funnel too much traffic directly onto Valleydale Road.

Owens said his company’s plan is to start clearing the 20-acre wooded property in late July or early August.

Hoover City Administrator Ken Grimes after Thursday night’s meeting said that if the new traffic study indicates the elimination of an access point on Inverness Center Drive is a viable option, the city and its attorney could have discussions with the developer to see if the developer would consider a new plan without that access point.

The communities off Inverness Center Drive include Beaumont, the Danberry at Inverness assisted living community, the Cottages of Danberry and Lake Heather Estates.

“If your parents were living in either one of those two locations [with residents age 80 or older}, how would you feel about their safety or security and their peace of mind in their final years of life?” Kitchen asked Hoover council members.

Max Casey, a resident of Lake Heather Estates with six children (three between the ages of 16 and 22), echoed concerns about the impact of increased traffic for younger drivers as well.

Owens said the issues raised Thursday night were raised back in 2023 and traffic engineers for the government entities determined then they wanted to keep the access point on Inverness Center Drive. He’s not sure what impact the new study will have, he said.

“I think we’ve got to get with the city and get a game plan,” he said. “We want to be good neighbors, and I think it’s obvious that everybody wants to live with some sort of continuity. The closure of ICD is not something I could address.”

There’s not really anything the city can do to change the plan at this point, Owens said.

“We have an approved plan,” he said. “The development’s going to create 500 jobs. It’s really going to put close to five and half million dollars a year in the city and county coffers. It’s a huge tax generator for the city and county. … We just want to move forward with following up with the items we’re working on with the city of Hoover and get ready to start.”