Emily Featherston
Parks, development and communications were on the agenda Wednesday night as Vestavia Hills City Council members gathered around the table at 2017's first work session.
The council met with City Manager Jeff Downes and other city department heads to discuss the ongoing projects and issues that will come up at subsequent city council meetings.
Possible indoor sport building at SHAC
The first item of discussion was a "newly hatched" idea for a wrestling and indoor soccer facility at Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex.
Representatives from Vestavia's soccer and wrestling recreation leagues came to the council to get preliminary feedback about potentially acquiring a plot of land at SHAC to construct a facility that could be used by both organizations.
The idea, while extremely conceptual at this time, would be for a two-story structure with each sport "owning" a floor for the league's use.
No attempts to formulate an agreement have been made, Downes said, but the general idea would likely involve the city declaring the plot of land for the building as surplus.
The project, he said, would be no cost to the city, as the recreation leagues would be paying for the facility's construction and operation.
Development on Crosshaven Drive
The development on Crosshaven Drive between Ridgely Drive and Green Valley Park Road, nicknamed the "Leaf & Petal development," came before the council to discuss the possibility of an economic development incentive agreement with the city.
From time to time, Downes said, the city enters into agreements with developers when there are "extraordinary" development costs that would otherwise prevent the development from moving forward.
In the case of the Crosshaven project, developers Jamie Pursell and Thomas Satterfield explained to the council that as the team has made its way through the pre-construction process, additional costs have been identified that will make the project significantly more expensive than planned.
Pursell explained that as evaluations to the sight were made, it was discovered that the plot would require significant ground work, with much of the soil unfit to build on. Additionally, the amount of retaining wall construction needed was greater than originally anticipated.
Part of the cost stems from the city's request that the development take into account a 10-foot strip the city will eventually need to expand Crosshaven to three lanes.
Downes said that the widening of Crosshaven is still far in the future, but any time the city has a chance to obtain right of way, it's a good idea.
“If we’re considering incentives as part of the deal," Downes said to the council, "put a value on that 10-foot strip, and lets go ahead and get that strip.”
To accommodate the city's request, Pursell and Satterfield explained that the project costs increased by approximately $150,000, and in order to help augment that cost, they were hoping to come to an agreement with the city.
Downes said that like all agreements of the type, the measure would have to go through a vote by the council.
Community Spaces Plan
Downes briefed the council on the variety of issues related to the Community Spaces Plan that they will have to consider in the coming days.
He said that one of the major decisions they will have to make is whether or not the city should attempt to finance the project all at once, or move in stages.
“The big concern I have is," Downes said to the council, "if we were to do any of the various financial options, what do the various credit agencies say about it?”
Downes also said he thinks it would be wise for the council to consider hiring a program manager to oversee the project, and that it would be important to get that person early on in the process.
“We do not have the capacity, in the city, staff-wise, to manage a program this big," he said.
He also suggested that the council nominate a representative to represent them on the Community Spaces Committee.
Other Discussion Included:
- Downes said that per the discussion on the council's communications committee, he has been looking into the possibility of hiring a communications professional that could be shared by the city and the library.
- The council agreed that the city's sign ordinance should be enforced, but that given the non-enforcement over the last few years, they would suggest the police department begin with issuing warnings and phasing in enforcement.
