Image courtesy of city of Vestav
This 15-foot-tall, 130-foot-long wall sign is proposed as a new sign to welcome people into Vestavia Hills, Alabama, along U.S. 31 near the city's border with Hoover, Alabama.
The $1.2 million southern gateway project along U.S. 31 that was approved by the Vestavia Hills City Council in mid-October is about to get started, City Manager Jeff Downes told the council this week.
The city expects to issue a notice to proceed to Gillespie Construction on Dec. 8, and the work should take 120 calendar days to complete, Downes said.
The first work to occur likely will be replacing a concrete median with landscaping and limited clearing of the area on the east side of U.S. 31 where a 15-foot-tall, 130-foot-long wall sign with “Vestavia Hills” written on it will be built, Downes said.
The contractor anticipates limited night-time lane closures along U.S. 31 between mid-December and January, he said.
The project also includes a second sign bearing the city’s name across the street by the Chevron gasoline station that would be visible to people exiting Interstate 65 North. There also will be additional landscaping on both sides of U.S. 31 and stormwater drainage improvements. The 130-foot-long wall sign also will serve as a retaining wall for future commercial development behind it.
The main thrust behind the project is to improve the appearance of that section of U.S. 31 and give a better first impression of the city, city officials have said. This project should help the city recruit better quality tenants for the old site of the Days Inn hotel that was torn down and surrounding property, Downes said. “We’re excited to see it progress.”
Downes also updated the council on the timelimes for the projects to widen Massey Road and open the new pedestrian bridge over U.S. 31 at Wald Park.
The Massey Road widening project was delayed three to four months due to a break in a water main that had not shown up on construction plans and that had to be moved, but the main obstacles there have been resolved and that project now is expected to be complete by March, Downes said.
There also have been delays with the opening of the pedestrian bridge over U.S. 31. The project is nearly complete, but the installation of an elevator on east side of U.S. 31 still has not occurred, Downes said.
City officials have been frustrated because it doesn’t appear there is much work being done on the site, he said. The contractor has blamed slow review work by the Alabama Department of Transportation, but others say there were flaws in the original construction schedule, Downes said.
It now looks like that project won’t be completed until after the first of the year, he said.
Because both the Massey Road project and the pedestrian bridge project are being led by the Alabama Department of Transportation, the city has limited control and can only advocate for expedition of the project, Downes said.
In other business Monday night, the Vestavia Hills City Council:
- Rezoned .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. It was at one point slated to be turned into a business that provides swimming instruction for children, but that project never materialized. Nearby residents supported the rezoning, saying they prefer a residential use over a business use.
Map courtesy of city of Vestavia Hills
Six townhomes are slated to be built on Wall Street in Vestavia Hills, Alabama.
Sketch courtesy of city of Vestavia Hills
Six townhomes are slated to be built at 3951 Wall Street in the Cahaba Heights community in Vestavia Hills, Alabama.
- Gave approval for West Alabama Bank to build a bank on 1.1 acres at 3122, 3128, 3134 and 3136 Sunview Drive in Cahaba Heights. The bank is planned to 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.
Map courtesy of city of Vestavia Hills
West Alabama Bank to build a bank on 1.1 acres at 3122, 3128, 3134 and 3136 Sunview Drive in the Cahaba Heights community in Vestavia Hills, Alabama.
- Gave approval for AT&T to build a new small-cell tower at 3801 Crosshaven Drive
- Declared a 2013 fire engine and 2016 Ford F450 ambulance to be surplus equipment. Both vehicles have been replaced with newer equipment, Downes said.
- Moved the council’s Jan. 19 meeting to Wednesday, Jan. 21 due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. at Vestavia Hills City Hall.
