A solution for Beech flooding?

Residents of Beech Circle and Beech Street have dealt with basement flooding and other effects of rushing creek waters following the construction of Tapestry Park apartments on Montclair Road, and now the City is helping them prevent it.

Residents Meredith and Matt Kilgore, Pryor Rice and Randall Pitts and addressed Mountain Brook City Council about the issue at its July 14 meeting. According to the residents, the apartment construction has has exacerbated the issue caused by run off from surrounding areas of 52nd Street, Montclair Road and St Francis Xavier Catholic Church entering the drainage system around their homes.

Residents have built retaining walls, raised bridges and installed drainage systems, and most of the time these serve the water drainage adequately. However, they are concerned about the potential effects with an increase in volume of water and are asking for intervention from the city.

The council approved a proposal form Walter Schoel Engineering Company for hydrologic consulting to investigate drainage conditions in the Beech Circle drainage way, which would cost $13,500 and take two to three weeks.

Schoel said there would be a lot of “low hanging fruit” that could be done to address the situation.

Meredith Kilgore  also brought up the possibility of closing the one-way exit from Beech Circle to Montclair, which would require an easement from a property owner for a turn-around to be created to for emergency vehicles. Virginia Smith recommended that they start a neighborhood petition to bring this before the Council in the future. Matt Kilgore said residents have talked with Birmingham City Council members and the minister at St. Francis about the issue, and they are in favor of closing the route.

Park Lane Right-of-Way

As Little Hardware prepares to move to English Village, the Council considered improvements to the Park Lane public right-of-way in front of its new building. The improvements would enhance maneuverability for 18-wheel delivery trucks that would be exiting the Little Hardware property. It would result in the loss of one of 12 public parking spaces along Park Lane, but another space would be added with proposed on-site parking reconfiguration. The proposal also includes a two-hour parking signage for the 11 spaces along Park Lane.

Mike Mouron, who owns the property that will be leased to Little Hardware, said an alternative is taking down an island in order to not lose a space and put a cone out the night before a delivery to prevent anyone from parking in that one space overnight. The engineer who drew the plans said he hadn’t seen a car in the space, according to City Planner Dana Hazen.

The council approved the more permanent solution and two-hour parking signage.

In other news, the Council:

• Approved Hunt Cochrane’s proposed Eagle Scout project for the new Cahaba River Park. A member of Troop 28 at Independent Presbyterian Church, Hunt would install the interior spur trail on “Trail B,” install informational signs about the bioswale area and plant identification signs and add native plants to aid in the bioswale water-filtration process.
• Approved mixed use rezoning for 1930 Cahaba Road in English Village where Vino and Gallery 1930 are currently located. The rezoning will allow for a 1,000-square-foot addition the building in front of the existing gallery and five additional on-street parking spaces on 20^th Ave. South. The gallery would primarily use the space, but Vino would cater some joint events.
• Approved a speed limit ordinance amendment for U.S. 280 so that the limit set by ALDOT can be better enforced by Mountain Brook Police Department.
• Approved an ordinance amending the PUD development plan for the Lane Parke development that would allow a reduction in the required amount of window transparency for the grocery building. Western Supermarket has found that the minimum window transparency of 40 percent would be detrimental to the wine section that will face Jemison Lane. The proposal would reduce the requirement to 30 percent transparency.
• Approved an amendment to Section 109-32 of the City Code (Residential Code) regarding the waiver of certain replacement fenestration provisions.
• Approved a proposed amended Travel Policy and Health Screening Policy to motivate employees to participate in a wellness screening with a financial incentive.
• Listened to a Blue Print Birmingham presentation from Rick Davis of Birmingham Business Alliance.
• Approved a one-time retiree bonus authorized by RSA for a Park and Recreation employee.
• Approved parking pads and a right-of-way use agreement for 100 and 110 Dexter Ave. (Kurt and Amada Zinn).
• Approved a resolution declaring certain property surplus and authorizing its sale/disposal.
• Approved a resolution awarding the bid for the purchase of thermal imaging equipment for the Fire Department and a resolution awarding the bid for the purchase of two top dressers for the Parks and Recreation Department.
• Approved a resolution authorizing the execution of an agreement and assignment of Excess Cost Recovery Funds to allow the Alabama 9-1-1 Board to use excess cost recovery money toward an Internet protocol based next generation and integrated emergency communication network (aka the ANGEN project) for wireless devices and connection with plans to extend the network for wireline connections.
• Approved a resolution authorizing the execution of a consent for the subletting of space by Global Signal Acquisition II, LLC to SouthernLINC on the cell tower and grounds at the Public Works site.
• Approved a resolution authorizing the execution of a utility and construction agreement between the City and the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) with respect to the Phase 9 sidewalk project.