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Sydney Cromwell
Cahaba Heights Apartments
In front of City Hall, children protest a mixed-use development proposal in Cahaba Heights.
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Courtesy of Abby Brady
Cahaba Heights Community
Cahaba Heights Elementary parents walk to school with their students.
When the planning commission recommended a new Cahaba Heights mixed-used development proposal in September, residents packed city hall and overflowed into the parking lot. At the upcoming city council vote on Oct. 26, Abby Brady expects an even bigger crowd.
Brady has been one of the organizers of the Cahaba Heights community’s opposition to the development, which is being proposed by BREC Development and consists of retail and luxury apartments across from Cahaba Heights Elementary. The community group has come together around the slogan “Not in Our Schoolyard.”
Residents and students held signs with the slogan outside city hall at the September meeting. Brady said on National Walk to School Day in October, she and other organizers gave stickers and signs to parents as they walked children to school. One of the primary concerns about the proposed development is its impact on the walkability of the neighborhood and the safety of children walking to school.
Their other concerns include the density of apartments, the height of the four-story building and the amount of available parking. Brady said the group hired lawyer Ken Thompson to provide research and advice for Cahaba Heights residents in advance of the final vote. With a petition with 1,800 signatures on it, Brady feels confident that she’s representing the feelings of most of the neighborhood.
On Monday, the Cahaba Heights Community Foundation filed for its 501(c)3 nonprofit status. Brady said the nonprofit’s goal will be to preserve the Cahaba Heights community master plan, protect its students, collaborate with the city to enhance residents’ lives and educate the neighborhood on community matters.
The Foundation will continue in these goals after the Oct. 26 vote. Brady said several members of the nonprofit’s board of directors are in the Cahaba Heights Elementary PTO. If the Foundation decides to dissolve in the future, all of its assets will go to the PTO.
The council discussion and vote on the Cahaba Heights mixed-use development will be on Oct. 26 at 5 p.m. at the new city hall.
