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Hoover resident expresses concern with rezoning of property, other business discussed at council meeting

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Photo by Erin Nelson.

A Hoover citizen expressed multiple concerns about the rezoning of the property at 2245 and 2249 Blue Ridge Blvd at a Vestavia Hills City Council meeting on Sept. 26. 

Rebekah Golden lives a few feet from the Jefferson County and Shelby County line next to the two properties, she said. 

She said she’s concerned about the flooding in her backyard and the potential impact construction will have on traffic. 

“They’re wanting to redirect the drainage pipe going toward the creek but against the natural flow of the creek and our backyard already floods,” Golden said. “The construction, just them coming in for pre-construction for demolition, how is that going to affect school traffic in the morning when they’ve got dump trucks coming in and out?” 

She said she met with an engineer for the city of Hoover who said her backyard will flood if construction proceeds as planned. 

Vestavia Hills City Engineer Christopher Brady said though the city is tackling issues regarding erosion due to stormwater runoff, he has not heard from any engineers with the city of Hoover about Golden’s concerns and that the current stormwater run off plan meets all requirements of the city of Vestavia Hills. 

“We are aware of some ongoing erosion going on on the edge of the road there,” Brady said. “The design intent is to help create better control of that stormwater as it's coming off the edge of the road… I believe their stormwater runoff plan meets all of city of Vestavia Hills regulations. I don’t see a flooding threat for any of the units that they have proposed for development.” 

The city council approved the rezoning from and annexation of the property.

At the meeting, City Manager Jeff Downes provided the council with an update of the Days Inn property that was recently secured by the city of Vestavia Hills. 

Spectrum Environmental, an environmental solutions service based in Alabaster, evaluated for the property and identified an issue with asbestos, Downes said. 

“We are finalizing the scope of work for civil engineering,” Downes said. “Our objective is to get a bid by November for the demolition of the property. Given the time it takes to go through the bidding process, the goal is, by the end of December, have a day for demolition if we can maybe jump a few hurdles.” 

Downes said he’s been approached by many developers who requested to remain private, he said. 

“Our intent is, in the month of January or February, is to present developers with a clean site so that the development world can see what the site could actually be. We want to have a public planning charrette [a meeting where all parties get together to resolve conflicts and develop plans], similar to what we’ve done in other projects, to develop a vision, not just for that property, but adjoining properties.” 

Downes also reported both the Vestavia Hills Police Department and Fire Department plan to conduct training exercises in November, he said.

The Vestavia Hills Fire Department will participate in regional training exercises that will be “beneficial for our people as well as fire departments around the region,” Downes said.

The council also approved a contract with neighboring cities Hoover, Homewood and Mountain Brook, along with the Rocky Ridge Fire District, to form a regional training facility at the still-to-be-constructed training facility near Vestavia. Specialized classes and training will be offered there.

In other business, the City Council: 

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