During an April 13 meeting, the City Council approved a series of agreements concerning design and planning services for a portion of Altadena Country Club that is being considered for recreational use by the city of Vestavia Hills.
City Manager Jeff Downes and Mayor Butch Zaragoza have been working with Keith Development Company since December on a plan for the 90-acre property at Altadena Valley Country Club. David Keith, the owner of the development company, wants to turn 30 acres of the country club into single-family homes and donate about 64 acres to create a park with athletic fields and walking trails.
During the meeting, the council passed the following resolutions concerning the proposed site:
- Approved an agreement with Nall Partnership LTD regarding annexation. Downes said this agreement serves as the start of a 45-day inspection period that involves looking at various components of the site to determine if it is suitable for the city's needs. Following the inspection period, the city will go through the process of making sure conditions are met in order to move forward with the development of the property. The targeted closing date is Oct. 1, 2015.
- Accepted a proposal from Holcombe Norton Partners (HNP) for a site study. This proposal includes the design services for the development of an overall master plan. In addition to the Altadena site, HNP will work with the city, Goodwin Mills and Cawood, and Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc. to assist in the development of the comprehensive recreational plan. The cost is not to exceed $10,500.
- Accepted a proposal from Goodwyn Mills And Cawood (GMC) for planning services for the redevelopment of the site. GMC Director of Engineering Chris Eckroate stated the services will include the following components: environmental investigation, traffic/transportation study, preliminary hydrologic and hydaulic study, preliminary geotechnical investigation and infrastructure/space planning. The cost is not to exceed $50,000.
"Without doing these extensive studies, we won't know what to expect," said Councilman George Pierce. "We want there to be no surprises. We want to make sure our citizens are going to get the best possible use out of this site."
During the meeting, several residents expressed concerns about flooding throughout property in addition to the amount of work needed to prepare the site for recreational use.
"Any time you make plans for a site near the Cahaba River, you have to be very serious," Downes said. "We will be looking very closely at the multiple environment issues associated with this development."
As the deal moves forward, Downes said there will be public meetings to discuss the impact a park would have on the Cahaba River, nearby residents and local traffic and the ways to incorporate solutions into the final plan.
"This process is going to include public surveys, focus groups, etc." he said. "These are not going to be closed door conversations."
In other news, the council:
- Approved an annual tax levy for properties in Vestavia Hills In Jefferson County and Shelby County.
- Entered into an agreement to share responsibilities with Jefferson County and the city of Birmingham for road improvements to Sicard Hollow Road from Blue Lake Road to Rex Lake Road. The cost-sharing agreement would require the city to pay 15 percent of costs for the project.
- Passed a resolution to repair a collapsed drainage pipe between the baseball fields at Wald Park.
