Photo by Erin Nelson Starnes Media
Birmingham City Hall
Birmingham City Hall on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. Photo by Erin Nelson
The planned mixed-use redevelopment of the old Trinity Medical Center property in Crestwood South by New York developers took a step forward with another zoning decision by the Birmingham City Council at its regular meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
The council had already approved a change in zoning for the property, located at 800 Montclair Road.
However, the new zoning came with two qualifying conditions for a small portion of the property referred to as Lot 1 and containing a cell phone tower.
At today’s public hearing, the council amended those Q conditions.
The owner of the lot will not be forced to update the cell tower to conform with more recent stealth design requirements for cellular, microwave or two-way antennas and towers.
The current cell tower will be “grandfathered,” said Calvin Abrams, the city’s zoning administrator.
In addition, the amendments will give the owner some “peace of mind” in the future should it be necessary to make any “upgrades or improvements” to the tower.
Councilors Steven Hoyt and Valerie Abbott asked Abrams whether this could give the owner permission to increase the size of the current tower or add other equipment to Lot 1 in the future without having to get permission from the city.
Abrams assured them that the applicant would have to seek permits from the city in order to improve the site.
“This amendment is not allowing the applicant to change or exceed the zoning ordinance as it identifies what would be allowed on that site,” Abrams said.
“It is only allowing the existing cell tower to remain on the site, and if that tower has to be improved, they wouldn't necessarily have to go to stealth or other technologies to maintain that tower on the site,” he said.
The amendments were recommended by the city’s Zoning Advisory Committee and the Planning and Zoning Committee.