Planning and Zoning approves increase in number of residential units at Patchwork Farms

A developer’s plan to add 30 residential units to ongoing development at Patchwork Farms moved one step closer to reality after the Vestavia Hills Planning and Zoning Commission approved an increase in the number of residential units allowed at the site.

In addition to a planned hotel, developer Chris Reebals is planning to add 30 more luxury condominium units attached to the hotel. The designs call for three floors of condos with the bottom floor used for retail space, attached to a hotel with a two-story parking garage next to it. Reebals said the luxury units will be between $750,000 and $1.2 million, and the development as a whole is roughly $40 million.

The commission approved the amendment to the site’s planned unit development at the Oct. 11 meeting, increasing the maximum number of units from 270 to 305, and also passed a second part to the amendment removing five existing single-family lots along Old Looney Mill Road from the PUD, as part of a lawsuit settled earlier this year.

Both changes must be approved by the city council.

In other business, the commission:

• Approved the final plat for the resubdivision of Lot 6 of Youngs’ Addition to Shades Cliff, which subdividing one lot into two lots.
• Approved the final plat for Rocky Ridge Estates, lots 15, 17 and 18, which subdivided two lots into four lots.
• Approved the final plat for Covenant Daycare at Patchwork Farms, which consolidates three outparcels into one parcel.
• Approved the final plat for portions of lots 7 and 8 of New Merkle Heights, splitting one lot into two.
• Approved the rezoning of 3070 Green Valley Road from Vestavia Hills R-4 to Vestavia Hills O-1 for the purpose of office development. The rezoning should have taken place when the property was annexed along with the rest of Cahaba Heights in 2003, the commission said.
• Approved the rezoning of 1200 Vestavia Place from VH R-7 to VH R-9. In 1984, Vestavia Place was originally designed and zoned for a duplex, but in 1988, all lots were rezoned to VH R-2, with the exception of this lot, leaving it an orphan. The lot is too large for VH R-2 but meets VH R-9 qualifications.

Another item that was on the printed agenda dealt with a request for conditional use approval for outdoor recreation at Forge Fitness, 2301 Old Columbiana Road; however, that matter was tabled and moved to the Nov. 8 meeting.

All commission members with the exception of Rusty Weaver were present.