Neal Embry
Vestavia Hills Mayor Ashley Curry and members of the Vestavia Hills City Council listen at the Nov. 26 council meeting.
During a short meeting on Nov. 26, the Vestavia Hills City Council approved an ordinance increasing the number of residential units at a planned development at Patchwork Farms, while also removing five homes from the planned unit development at the site.
The latter move, which rezones the five residential lots from Vestavia Hills Planned Unit Development (PUD) to VH R-1 (low density residential district), is required as part of a legal settlement, while the increase of attached dwelling units allows developer Christopher Reebals with Christopher Architecture and Interiors to move forward with his plan to add a luxury hotel and 30 high-end condominiums at Patchwork Farms.
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 valued between $750,000 and $1.3 million.
In other business, the council passed the following ordinances:
- The rezoning of Lots 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Meadowlawn Estates at 3070 Green Valley Road from VH R-4 (medium density residential district) to VH O-1 (office district). The move corrects a transcription error which occurred when the city annexed Cahaba Heights in 2002.
- The rezoning of Lot 28, Block 7 of Waldridge Terrace at 1200 Vestavia Place from VH R-7 (duplex and triples residential district) to VH R-9 (planned residential community district). Vestavia Place opened as a duplex in 1984, but in 1988, the parcels adjacent to this lot were sold, leaving this lot “orphaned,” and in need of the rezoning to a single-family unit.
Items of note that were placed on first reading ahead of December meetings include an ordinance allowing Forge Fitness, 2301 Old Columbiana Road, a conditional use permit to use exercise equipment outside. The issue generated passionate discussion at a previous planning and zoning commission meeting. The commission approved the permit with some restrictions. That issue will be heard at the Dec. 17 meeting.
A resolution accepting a bid for the Green Valley sidewalk project will be presented at the Dec. 10 council meeting.