Birmingham City Council rezones two parcels for Colorado developer

The Birmingham City Council on May 28 approved zoning changes for two parcels of land downtown, thereby clearing the way for two new mixed-use projects by a Colorado developer — Tim Larson of Residential Ventures in Denver.

Members voted to change the zoning for a property at 1100 Second Ave. S. in the Parkside District currently occupied by Sherman Industries from M-2, heavy industrial, to MU-D, mixed-use downtown district. The vote was 5-2, with councilors John Hilliard and Crystal Smitherman voting no.

Larson, who has purchased the property from Sherman Industries, is doing this project under the name Birmingham POD LLC. He was present at the meeting along with designer Sidney Aulds, also from Denver.

The developer is in the early planning stages for a mixed-use project that would preserve some of the character of the site by repurposing the old cement plant while adding some new structures and a large community plaza, according to Aulds. The proposed development would include some retail, restaurants and other amenities.

Aulds was reluctant to set a timetable for what he called "a large project" but said they hope to break ground within 12-18 months.

Sherman Industries recently announced a controversial plan to relocate its cement plant from the site sold to Larson to a new facility near Five Points West, attracting strong opposition from Mayor Randall Woodfin; several council members, including Steven Hoyt; and neighborhood leaders, all of whom have expressed concerns about possible environmental hazards at the new facility.

Several residents spoke to the council today and expressed concern that the approval of the zoning request for Larson was somehow related to Sherman’s ability to proceed with its new facility.

But City Council President Valerie Abbott and councilor Darrell O’Quinn said that Sherman has already sold the Parkside parcel to Larson and will be forced to vacate it, regardless of where its new plant is located.

“We are sensitive to the issue in Five Points West,” said O’Quinn, who cited assurances given by Mayor Woodfin last week and again today that the concrete plant will not move to Five Points West.

“But what we are discussing this morning is not related,” O’Quinn said.

Sherman has sold the property in Parkside to Larson and “has to leave that property” within a certain period of time, he said.

“We do not want to hold this project hostage while this other issue is being resolved,” O’Quinn said.

The rezoning request was submitted by Hoyt as chairman of the council’s Planning and Zoning Committee. Approval of the item was recommended by that committee and by the Zoning Advisory Committee of the Birmingham Planning Commission.

PROJECT ON MORRIS AVENUE 

The council also voted 7-0 to approve Larson’s request to change the zoning for the old Lindsay Office Furnishings warehouse at 2409 Morris Avenue from M-1, light industrial district, to MU-D, mixed-use downtown district. Larson filed the request under the business name Mountainside Birmingham.

The project, located across Morris Avenue from Carrigan’s Public House, will involve a three-story renovation of the existing warehouse with retail, restaurants and offices, according to Katrina Thomas from the city's Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits.

The project will serve as “an anchor to the end of Morris Avenue,” Aulds said.

The developer will keep as much of the existing warehouse as possible, according to Aulds. “We’re keeping everything we can that is historic,” he said.

Aulds observed that Morris Avenue is a “very walkable street” and that the developer’s goal is to create “a pedestrian-friendly experience.”

The item was submitted by Hoyt, and approval was recommended by Hoyt’s committee and by the Zoning Advisory Committee.

The request is compatible with the city’s long-range plan for this area, which is designated as mixed use, according to Thomas.

OTHER BUSINESS

The council voted to authorize the mayor’s office and the Birmingham Police Department to apply for a $700,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to pay for 276 new body-worn cameras, along with related equipment, maintenance and upgrades. Councilor Hunter Williams, chair of the council's Public Safety Committee, told reporters that the cameras would be used not just by police officers but by the city's parking enforcement personnel. 

The council also accepted a lump sum bid of slightly over $714,000 from FieldTurf USA Inc. of Montreal, Quebec, to replace the turf at Legion Field. This was the lowest and best bid submitted, according to the text of the agenda item.