Mountain Brook wants to help build U.S. 280 pedestrian crossing

The cities of Mountain Brook and Homewood would like to create a new pedestrian crossing over U.S. 280 along the north side of the existing overpass at Hollywood Boulevard.

To that end, the Mountain Brook City Council on Aug. 13 approved a proposal to create a cooperative agreement between Mountain Brook, Homewood, Birmingham and Jefferson County in order to facilitate building the crossing.

The cooperative, if finalized, would be called the Highway 280 Public Road Cooperative District, according to supporting documents.

The agreement was also passed on Monday by the Homewood City Council, according to Mountain Brook City Council President Virginia Smith, who said Homewood City Councilor Jennifer Andress has helped spearhead the project.

The project backers are still working on the money to pay for the eight-foot-wide bridge, which will cost a little over $1 million, according to Smith.

“We’ve met with county officials and some Birmingham city officials and we hope that those entities — along with the state — will help us in raising the money,” she said.

The cities of Homewood and Mountain Brook have agreed to contribute $200,000 each, according to Smith.

She said she is unsure whether the city of Birmingham will help pay for the walkway.

“We have spoken to some of the city council members, and we hope to get in front of [Mayor Randall Woodfin] soon,” Smith said.

The overpass itself, as well as Union Hill Cemetery at the western end of the overpass and a retail strip to the east, are within the Birmingham city limits, according to Smith.

Smith said some state representatives, including David Faulkner and Slade Blackwell, have agreed to contribute some of their discretionary funds. Some running groups also plan to contribute, according to Smith.

Building the pedestrian walkway would make the area more walkable and would “definitely connect the communities” of Homewood and Mountain Brook, Smith said. The walkway might facilitate residents of the two communities to walk back and forth and shop, “but it’s more about connection and closeness,” she said

A significant number of pedestrians are already using the busy vehicular overpass to cross Highway 280, according to Smith. “People are already using the bridge, to walk, to run,” she said. “Apparently there are mothers with strollers already using it, too.”

ALDOT has told the backers of the project that the bridge — unlike many in the state — is in good shape and does not need to be replaced. If the overpass does need to be replaced, ALDOT would be required to add a pedestrian walkway, according to Smith.Council members also closed three public hearing items after first giving unanimous consent to consider the items on their first reading.

The resolution passed as part of the council’s consent agenda. Council also held three public hearings.

The hearings amended the city’s stormwater management illicit discharge regulations, its erosion and sedimentation control regulations and its energy code. The amendment to the city’s stormwater regulations essentially repeals and replaces an ordinance the city passed in the 1990s that is now outdated, according to city building official Glen Merchant.

“We’ve tweaked some things. We’re doing some things a little bit stronger, more intent, to make sure we help clean up Shades Creek, Cahaba River," Merchant said. "We took some of that old language that was outdated and we’ve refined it, working with our city attorney, with consultants, with other cities, like Montgomery, Nashville and Mobile, that have gradually made changes to make things better."

ADEM helped drive the need to make changes in the wording of the city's ordinance when it replaced each city’s county permit with a city permit.

“Basically we have the same standard, but we have a little bit tougher standard of clean water,” Merchant said

Mountain Brook will also continue to work closely with the Jefferson County stormwater management office, such as in assisting the city in completing its annual report.

The council also:

• Approved a project agreement between the city and ALDOT to build a sidewalk along Dunbarton Drive from North Woodridge Road to Locksley Drive. The cost of the project will be about $686,000, with most of the money coming from federal funds and about $137,000 coming from the city, according to the text of the agreement.
• Approved a professional services agreement with Skipper Consulting Inc. to conduct a pedestrian traffic flow study on Montevallo Road near Lane Parke.
• Approved a professional services agreement with Landscape Design Inc. to assist in the planting of heritage oak trees in the city. According to the text of the resolution, the Mountain Brook Board of Landscape Design is seeking to add 300 oak trees using seeds and acorns collected locally. The seedlings will be maintained by Landscape Design Inc. at Blackjack Farms until fall 2019, at which time they will be distributed to local residents for planting.
• Approved a charitable gift agreement between the city and Pump House Road LLC, which — later in 2018 — will donate some undeveloped land in the vicinity of Pump House Road to the city.
• Declared about 15 city vehicles as surplus property; agreed to install a fire hydrant at the intersection of Lewis Circle and Weatherton Drive; approved an agreement with Trobaugh and Company LLC to provide the city with business license and tax auditing services, and accepted a proposal from Fontenot Benefits & Actuarial Consulting to perform an actuarial valuation of the city’s retiree medical benefit plan.

The next regular meeting of city council is Aug. 27, at 7 p.m., at City Hall.