City votes extension of relaxed rules on sidewalk dining, curbside parking
The Mountain Brook City Council took extraordinary steps in May to help support local businesses during the COVID-pandemic.
On May 11, the Council voted to allow restaurants to more easily expand their use of sidewalk dining without going through a lengthy application process.
On May 13, the body also voted to temporarily designate a few parking spaces on most blocks in the villages for curbside delivery for restaurants and retailers.
With the pandemic still raging, the Council — as part of its consent agenda at its regular meeting for Aug. 10 — voted to extend each of those measures for an additional 90 days.
The parking measure reflected a few changes made in the locations of the spaces by Dana Hazen, the city’s director of planning, building and sustainability.
Other items:
- The recent change in name of the Emmet O’Neal Library to the O’Neal Library also necessitates making changes to 8 of the 14 directional signs in the three villages. The Council voted to pay Christopher Brown of Architectural Specialties — who installed the signs in 2017 — $9,160 to replace the eight signs containing the old name of the library. The new signs will merely say “library.” Brown said that he is a Mountain Brook resident and would charge the city the same price he charged in 2017. “I want them to look nice, too,” he said.
- The Council also approved a Memorandum of Understanding allowing the Mountain Brook Fire Department to accept a nearly $100,000 regional FEMA grant to enhance virtual training for firefighters through the Alabama Fire College. The city’s 10% match will be less than $10,000, according to a document supplied to the Council by Fire Chief Chris Mullin,
- The Council passed a resolution expressing gratitude to Patrick Higginbotham for his 15 years of service on the Board of Zoning Adjustment.
- Mullin notified members that the annual Patriot Day ceremonies scheduled for September 11 have been canceled due to concerns about COVID-19. Mullin said he had consulted with Police Chief Ted Cook. “We don't want to spend money unnecessarily” in planning an event that likely will not happen, Mullin told the Council. “I think we should just notify everybody that we are not doing it.” Mountain Brook was scheduled to host the event, which also rotates to Homewood and Vestavia Hills. Mountain Brook will likely host the event in 2021. He said that the communities will likely do something, such as a moment of silence, this year.
Proposal for Mountain Brook Circle
The Mayor and all five council members also expressed support for a proposal regarding the future of Mountain Brook Village submitted by Sim Johnson, chairman of the city’s Board of Landscape Design.
The city has discussed permanently closing Canterbury Road at Cahaba Road. This could allow for connecting the traffic islands in front of RealtySouth and Gilchrist, Johnson said.
Johnson proposed that the city commit to pay $16,500 for a study by nationally known landscape design firm Olin. He would then take the lead in soliciting additional donations to “hire a dream team of landscape architects and plant experts” to develop a redesign for Village Circle in association with local landscape architects Joel Eliason and Dave Giddens of Nimrod Long & Associates.
Private donations would pay the $34,500 planting design fee and the additional fees for local landscape architects and traffic engineers.
Johnson also assured the Council that even if the city agrees to the proposal, it would not have to spend the $16,500 unless or until the other private monies for the rest of the project are raised.
City Attorney Whit Colvin said his office should review the contract before the city signs it.
But the mayor and council expressed their strong support for the plan, thus allowing Johnson to begin soliciting help from potential donors.
Johnson is asking that prospective donors or others interested in the project contact him at simeonjohnson@msn.com.
Look for updates and additions to this story later this week.