Council approves bid for new community building

The bid from Amason and Associates to build a new community building near Vestavia Hills City Hall was approved at the May 11 Vestavia Hills City Council meeting.

The bid includes all alternates, including a hardwood floor, a partition and landscaping. The original budget was around $16.3 million, and projections had risen to about $19 million as the scope of the work expanded, but, the bid from Amason actually came in under budget at about $13.4 million.

The building is expected to be complete next year.

Also, at the meeting, the Council heard from Raynor Boles with TCU Consulting, the program manager for the Community Spaces program.

Boles said Cahaba Heights Park is “beautiful,” and should be substantially complete by June 1. The only thing left to be added is some landscaping, some signage and the playgrounds. It’s unknown when playgrounds, and ball fields, will be available for use with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but the playground contractor should be at the park at July 1.

Work will soon begin on Crosshaven Drive, which will see widening, the installation of sidewalks and other improvements. Boles said utility relocation will take place in mid-June, requiring partial lane closures. However, the plan is to close the road in segments to avoid major traffic delays, Boles said.

No work will be done on the part of the road closest to The Summit shopping center in the months of November and December to help those businesses, Boles said.

At Wald Park, the pools just need water and work on the deck will begin soon. The goal is to have the pool ready by July 4, Boles said.

Work at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex is almost complete, with the building of the pavilion the only part left to be completed.

The bid opening for the new New Merkel House is set for May 18, Boles said.

The Council also approved the rezoning of 3009 Pumphouse Road from Vestavia Hills O-1 [office district] to VH B-2 [general business district). The property will become Cahaba Heights Corner, a mixed-use residential and office space.

In his report to the Council, City Manager Jeff Downes said six companies attended the pre-bid meeting about the city’s sanitation contract, which is set to expire this fall. Downes also said he does not know if the city will receive any federal money due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is possible.

The polling place at Town Village has been temporarily moved to the former Vestavia Hills Elementary Central campus, in order to avoid health risks to the senior citizens at Town Village. The change will last at least through the July 14 runoff and municipal elections in August. Jefferson County, which oversees state and federal elections, will make a determination on whether the polling location would revert back to Town Village before the November general election, and it is unknown at this time if the July 14 runoff will still take place as scheduled.

The Council also:

• Approved a resolution granting Alabama Power a utility easement at Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex to connect electrical services.
• Approved a resolution declaring a 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe previously used by the Police Department as surplus.
• Approved a resolution supporting the reopening of some small businesses that were previously not allowed to be open in the ongoing pandemic. The resolution comes on the heels of a Council-approved letter written by Mayor Ashley Curry that was sent to Governor Kay Ivey last week.
• Approved a resolution allowing Downes to purchase pool deck furniture for the Vestavia Hills Aquatic Facility.
• Approved the renewing of an agreement with Jefferson County for the Community Development Block Grant Program. While money from the program typically goes to low-income areas and that doesn’t currently include any part of Vestavia, Downes said the city enters into the agreement with Jefferson County, which does qualify, in case the city ever does qualify.

The Council also introduced several annexations, the rezoning of 3120 Blue Lake Drive from VH R-1 [residential] to VH B-1.2 [neighborhood mixed use] and the acceptance of about $120,000 in federal grant monies to help firefighters.