
Emily Featherston
Jeff Hardwick answers questions from council members at the meeting.
Vestavia Hills City Council members had several matters of zoning to consider Monday evening at the second regularly scheduled meeting of the month.
The council heard multiple rezoning requests as well as one final annexation request.
The item garnering the majority of discussion involved the property at 3118 Pine Tree Drive from R-1 residential to B-3 with a conditional use clause and conditions.
Proposed for the property is an animal boarding and grooming daycare as the new location for The Pawms Pet Resort.
Mayor Pro-Tem Rusty Weaver, who was presiding over the meeting in Mayor Ashley Curry's absence, said that there was significant discussion at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting where the issue came up over the noise level and its impact on neighboring properties. The matter was recommended to the council with a positive review pursuant to conditional use that it be within the B-2 parameters, and that it was "strongly encouraged" the developer use a high sound transmission class (STC) building material.
Pawms owner Jeff Hardwick spoke to the council about the ways he and his architects have worked to ensure that noise from the business is minimal. At his Avondale location, which he said is located near a recording studio, he has never had a noise complaint.
Hardwick said not only would the building be constructed to reduce noise, but it is company policy to escort noisy animals back indoors if they begin to bark while in the outdoor exercise area.
Neighbors reiterated their concerns to the council, and Place 2 Councilor Kimberly Cook asked if there was a way to make having a high STC rating a requirement rather than "strongly encouraged."
City Attorney Pat Boone said the only way to do so without sending the matter back through the process would have the candidate declare he was willing to make that a prerequisite of applying for a business license.
Hardwick agreed to the terms, and the issue was unanimously approved.
Another issue before the council involved rezoning 3009 and 3017 Sunview Drive from R-4 residential to R-9 planned residential.
The development would have 10 medium-density build-outs, with a target market of empty-nesters, according to developers present at the meeting.
Place 4 Councilor George Pierce said he had concerns about the impact on the school system, as other developments had been aimed at empty nesters, but they ended up having multiple children.
Cook said based on her research, a similar development across the street does not have an impact on the school system. The developer said in his mind, the impact would me minimal.
Other Council Business Included:
- Approving a final annexation for 3308 Misty Lane, Lot 1, and the subsequent rezoning request.
- Approving a rezoning request for 3111 Pine Tree Drive from R-1 to O-1 for a medical office.
- Approving the final 10 percent of the 2017 fiscal year budget.
- Approving a resolution allowing ALDOT to complete work on a guardrail issue on a portion of Interstate 459 in the city's jurisdiction.