JHP sidewalk map
The city of Hoover is partnering with the Alabama Department of Transportation to build a 1.8-mile sidewalk along John Hawkins Parkway between U.S. 31 and the entrance to the Cahaba River Estates subdivision. The location is indicated by the fuschia-colored line.
The Hoover City Council on Tuesday night voted to proceed with a 1.8-mile sidewalk project on John Hawkins Parkway (Alabama 150) between U.S. 31 and the entrance to the Cahaba River Estates subdivision.
The project is expected to cost almost $2.7 million, with $2.1 million coming from the federal government and $535,000 coming from the city of Hoover, said Tim Westhoven, the city’s chief operations officer.
The City Council took two votes regarding the project Tuesday — one to approve an agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation to move forward with right-of-way acquisition and the other to begin design work.
The city estimates that right of way would cost $135,279, with the federal government picking up 80 percent of the cost — $108,223 — and Hoover paying $27,056. The council also approved a design contract with the Neel-Schaffer engineering firm, with costs not to exceed $298,246. Again, 80 percent of the cost will be covered by the federal government.
The council voted 6-1 to approve the right-of-way acquisition, with only Council President Gene Smith voting against it.
Smith questioned whether the sidewalk money would be better spent in a residential area, such as in the Green Valley community or along Alford Avenue. There is only one set of apartments in this portion of John Hawkins Parkway, he said. He questioned whether people in Cahaba River Estates would really use the sidewalk to get to the Riverchase Galleria. He also noted there are few street lights along parts of that corridor.
Westhoven said it certainly would be better to have street lights but said there already are people walking on the shoulder of the road. Having sidewalks, even without street lights, would be safer than having no sidewalks at all, Westhoven said.
Westhoven also noted the bicycle and pedestrian plan approved by the Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission as part of the city’s comprehensive plan identifies four main pedestrian loop pathways and said two of those utilize parts of Alabama 150.
“It provides connectivity that otherwise wouldn’t be available,” Westhoven said. “This sidewalk along Alabama 150 is a prominent part of that.”
Smith asked whether any of the funds for this project could be used for more residential areas. Westhoven said the city already has this agreement worked out with the state for the sidewalk along Alabama 150 and if the city were to try to get the money reprogrammed for another location, it likely would lose the money already approved and have to start over with the application process.
Councilman John Lyda said he travels quite a bit for his job and said Hoover is way behind when it comes to sidewalks along residential streets and major arteries.
“I can’t think of a hotel I’ve stayed in in a suburban city in America that I can’t walk out and get on a sidewalk and run countless miles,” Lyda said. “We can’t here.”
Hoover hotels serve a lot of visitors for conferences and other events, and the guests notice the lack of sidewalks, he said. “We’ve got to start somewhere,” he said. “I think it’s past time that we start looking at this and doing it.”
Councilman Casey Middlebrooks said sidewalks are especially important for people in wheelchairs. They can’t really use the side of the road or the grass, he said.
Smith joined five other council members in voting for the sidewalk design contract with Neel-Schaffer.
Westhoven said the design work likely would take about a year, and then right-of-way acquisition will require more time. It likely will be several years before the sidewalk construction can begin, he said.
In other business Tuesday night, the City Council:
- Gave final approval for purchase of the Hoover-Randle Home and Gardens for $1.6 million, plus closing costs, with total costs not to exceed $1.7 million.
- Approved a change order for construction of the Hoover Police Department’s new training center being built along Municipal Drive to cover $303,400 worth of cost overruns. Westhoven said the contractor incurred unexpected costs due to utility lines being in a different place than was indicated on maps and problems with stormwater runoff from an adjacent apartment complex.
- Agreed to pay $72,708 to the Birmingham-Jefferson County Transit Authority for transit service in Hoover for fiscal 2020. This includes some cuts in service because of significant changes in the funding formula established by the Transit Authority that increased hourly costs for the city of Hoover.
- Agreed to partner with Jefferson County to pay for geographic mapping services. Hoover already partners with Shelby County and now will work with both counties.
- Voted to require City Council approval for any restaurant with drive-through or drive-up service in C-2 or C-3 commercial districts, light industrial districts or planned commercial districts.
- Voted to allow research and development facilities in C-2 commercial districts and planned office districts. City Planner Mac Martin and Economic Developer Greg Knighton said these changes would allow some companies to locate in office parks and shopping centers that previously could not.
- Recognized Westhoven for 18 years of service to the city as he leaves to take a job with the Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood architecture and engineering firm in Huntsville and Brenda Page, who is retiring from the city’s clerk office after 20 years of service.
- Recognized Caitlyn McTier as the new Miss Hoover 2020 and Hoover resident Ken Harden, who recently won a Patriotic Employer Award from the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve organization for his support of his son and employee, Evan Harden, in his work as a second-class petty officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve.
- Joined Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato in recognizing Prince of Peace Catholic School fourth-grader Foster Dudley for showing outstanding character by returning $900 cash he found in the Target store at The Grove shopping center. Brocato presented Foster with a ceremonial key to the city.