Sketch courtesy of city of Vestavia Hills
A developer is proposing to build 59 townhomes on 4.3 acres on Bellwood Drive and Autumn Lane in the Cahaba Heights community in Vestavia Hills, Alabama.
The Vestavia Hills Planning and Zoning Commission on Thursday night is scheduled to consider proposals to rezone two pieces of land in Cahaba Heights for 65 townhomes.
One request from Joseph Miller is to rezone 4.3 acres off Bellwood Drive and Autumn Lane to accommodate 59 townhomes, and that request has been met with some opposition. Some of the land already is zoned for townhomes, but the rest of it is zoned for an R-4 medium-density residential district.
Access would be off Autumn Lane, and the development would be served by a one-way private street that includes on-street parking. The proposal includes multiple green spaces and a pedestrian gate to Bellwood Drive. The developers propose to construct sidewalks along Bellwood Drive and Autumn Lane.
Cahaba Heights resident Megan Brasher said in a letter to the city that while she understands the need for thoughtful growth and additional housing, “a development of this scale threatens to significantly alter the character of our small city and may lead to long-term negative impacts.”
She is concerned that this development would put a strain on infrastructure, such as roads and water systems, and said it is incompatible with the existing neighborhood.
“The proposed townhouses would be built in an established neighborhood characterized by small, single-family homes,” Brasher wrote. “This kind of high-density development does not match the existing scale, design or character of the surrounding area. It would disrupt the visual harmony of the neighborhood and alter the overall feel of a community that many have chosen specifically for its quieter, more traditional residential atmosphere. We want trees, yards and space to grow a family.”
Cahaba Heights is known for its small-town charm and close-knit neighborhoods, and a dense housing project of this size risks shifting the feel and fabric of the area in ways that many longtime residents oppose, Brasher wrote.
“We do NOT want to look like another commercialized highway 280,” she said. “We want green spaces, not a building or house on every corner.”
She’s also concerned this development would increase enrollment pressure at Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights and the middle and high schools, she said.
“I urge the city to work with the developer to explore alternatives that would better serve our community,” Brasher wrote. “A smaller-scale project with no more than 10 single-family homes that reflect the size, character and layout of the existing neighborhood would be far more appropriate. Responsible, balanced development is possible—and should aim to preserve the qualities that make Cahaba Heights a desirable place to live.”
Map courtesy of city of Vestavia Hills
A developer is proposing to build 59 townhomes on 4.3 acres on Bellwood Drive and Autumn Lane in the Cahaba Heights community in Vestavia HIlls, Alabama.
Michael Fish, another nearby resident, said in a letter that it would make more sense to consider cluster homes with main-level primary bedrooms, more natural light and true outdoor living spaces.
“This is the South. Homes here should reflect Southern character, not resemble an attached-housing development one might find in New Jersey,” Fish wrote. “I urge the Planning Commission to reject this zoning change. Our community deserves thoughtful development that enhances our neighborhood, not a project that prioritizes revenue over livability.”
A traffic study by Sain Associates predicts the townhome development, originally proposed with 67 townhomes, would generate 441 weekday vehicle trips. That study predicted the development would not have a significant impact on traffic in the area.
The property previously had a duplex on it that has been demolished and now is mostly kudzu and trees, Assistant City Manager Cinnamon McCulley said.
The Planning and Zoning Commission also is scheduled to hear another request to rezone .38 acres at 3951 Wall Street in Cahaba Heights from a B-2 business district to an R-9 townhome district for six townhomes by developer Jason Kessler. That property currently has one house on it, McCulley said.
The commission also is set to hear a request to allow West Alabama Bank to build a bank location on 1.1 acres at 3122, 3128, 3134 and 3136 Sunview Drive in Cahaba Heights. The bank would have two drive-through lanes and 20 parking spaces. The property previously was approved for a hair salon and office/commercial use, but that project never came to fruition.
Thursday’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting is scheduled to be at Vestavia Hills City Hall at 6 p.m.
