The Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday night recommended the Hoover City Council rezone property in Deer Valley from preferred commercial (office) district to a C-2 community business district.
The property is at 5245 Ross Bridge Parkway just south and east of property owned by Cross Creek Church.
Deer Valley Partners owns two vacant parcels, each about 2 acres, along Ross Bridge Parkway. One of them is zoned as a C-2 community business district, and the second one (immediately north along the parkway) is zoned preferred commercial.
Map courtesy of city of Hoover
Deer Valley Partners is seeking to have the Parcel B shown above in orange rezoned from a preferred commercial (office) district to a community business district.
Deer Valley Partners has been trying to come up with a development concept that meets the current zoning but has found the preferred commercial zoning to be an impediment to development, City Planner Mac Martin said.
David Rawson, an engineer representing Deer Valley Partners, said several parties have been interested in the site, but the interested parties desired to have the entire 4-acre site as a community business district, so the owner is trying to eliminate the current split zoning.
Martin noted that the church property to the west is zoned as a community business district, and the credit union to the south of the Deer Valley Partners property also is zoned as a community business district. The property to the north (also owned by the church) is zoned for preferred commercial use, so there still would be some transition between the community business district and the garden home community a little further north, Martin said.
Hoover Councilwoman Khristi Driver, who sits on the zoning board, noted that property across Ross Bridge Parkway is residential. She also asked if any potential uses that would conflict with the church would be allowed in a community business district outright.
Martin said something like a liquor store or vape shop would require a conditional use approval by the city, and if the church were to build on its property first, there would be some distance requirements that would have to be met.
No one expressed opposition to the zoning change, and the zoning board recommended approval with an 8-0-1 vote, with zoning board Chairman Mike Wood abstaining.
The zoning request now goes to the Hoover City Council for final approval in March.
The zoning board also received a request from Mohan Kalagotla to allow an event and party space next to his Hyderabad House Alabama Indian restaurant in The Centre at Riverchase shopping center at 1694 Montgomery Highway.
However, Martin said he, the Fire Department and Building Inspection Department had some questions about the proposed layout of the facility and asked for a continuance to allow them more time to meet with Kalagotla, who has been out of the country. Kalagotla, who was present Monday night, agreed to a continuance, so his request now is slated to be heard March 10.
