Council approves rezoning for townhomes on Massey Road

The Vestavia Hills City Council on June 24 voted to rezone property on Massey Road for the construction of eight new townhomes.

The homes, to be built by KADCO Homes, will be located at 3038 Massey Road, which was rezoned from Vestavia Hills RC-1 [Condominium Residential District] to VH R-9 [Planned Residential District] after a short debate at the council meeting.

The property was previously the home of 15 condominium units, which burned while under construction in July 2015. The fire was found to be set intentionally, but the case remains open, Vestavia Hills Fire Department Capt. Ryan Farrell said.

The development is 10 lots, with the townhomes and two common areas, developer Jason Kessler said.

Neighbors raised concern about KADCO finishing the project, as the area has seen numerous projects started but never finished, one neighbor said. City Engineer Christopher Brady said the city can now enforce an ordinance to keep the property maintained.

Culverts on Massey Road are scheduled to be replaced sometime in the future as part of the city’s ongoing work to improve drainage across the city, but Brady said it wasn’t known if construction at the site could further damage the old culverts. If something does happen as a result of KADCO’s negligence, they would be held accountable, Brady said.

In his report, City Manager Jeff Downes gave an update on the Community Spaces plan, with more timelines now available. At Wald Park, the bids are expected to open July 2 at 4 p.m. with a notice to proceed given Aug. 1. The pool facility is expected to be finished May 25, 2020, with the baseball complex finished March 1. The turn lane on Waldridge Road should be finished Oct. 1, 2019. The rest of the work at Wald Park should be finished 455 days after the notice to proceed is given.

The community building’s bid opening is set for Aug. 18 with the notice to proceed granted Sept. 10, with construction lasting 425 days from that date. At the Cahaba Heights ballfield, the bid has already been awarded and the notice to proceed should be given July 1, with construction lasting 365 days after it is given.

The new New Merkel House is expected to go out for bid in September, with construction reaching “substantial completion” by summer 2020, while the SHAC tunnel project is expected to be bid out in July 2019 and completed 185 days from the notice to proceed, which is expected to be sent out Aug. 13.

The Crosshaven Drive project, which involves repaving, widening and installation of sidewalks, will take 255 days to complete, with the notice to proceed expected to be given Jan. 15, 2020.

Downes also said 29 of the 30 rights-of-way that the city needs granted to do the work on Crosshaven have been verbally agreed to by property owners, though details need to be ironed out. The lone holdout is the owner of The Pita Stop, Downes said. The city is seeking a temporary construction easement in order to tie together road work, but will now pursue the easement through the condemnation process in probate court, Downes said.

Lastly, Downes told the council the city has now repaved 20 miles of city streets this year, and is expected to pave three more miles.

The council also voted to rezone 1109 Winward Lane from VH R-2 [Medium Density Residential District] to R-9, though council member Kimberly Cook voted no, agreeing with a number of residents who voiced their concern that the lots would lead to much larger houses, also being built by KADCO, which would not fit with the identity of the homes already in the area.

The council also authorized Downes and Mayor Ashley Curry to enter into an agreement with Jefferson County to make portions of Sunview Drive and Wall Street through-roads in order to expedite the Crosshaven project.

The council also approved the vacating of a sanitary sewer easement on two lots of Overton Cove South, after a sewer main was moved from that area to another area.