Council reviews intersections for APPLE grant study
In an ongoing attempt to address traffic concerns in Mountain Brook, city officials heard a report from Skipper Consulting during the Oct. 23 Mountain Brook City Council meeting.
Richard Caudle with Skipper Consulting discussed a list of projects to study through an APPLE grant, which he believes would be beneficial to the city. Currently, there are 11 sets of intersections that Caudle said were labeled as a high priority and fit within the budgeted funding for the study:
- Brookwood Road at Crosshill Road
- Old Leeds Road at Beechwood Road/Glencoe Drive
- Country Club Road/Memory Lane/Crossridge Road
- Overton Road at South Brookwood Road
- Cahaba Road at Mountain Brook Parkway
- Bethune Drive at Valley Head Road, North Woodridge Road and Mill Run Road
- Vine Street at Dexter Avenue
- Church Street at Euclid Avenue
- Montevallo Road at Overbook Road
- Montevallo Road at Overhill Road
- Montevallo Road at Euclid Avenue/Leach Drive
Each street has its own elements that need to be studied, he said, some of which include blind spots, signage, pedestrian paths, adding turn lanes and congestion concerns. Caudle said the list was generated on aspects such as public response and input from Police Chief Ted Cook and City Manager Sam Gaston.
Other streets and intersections were listed as possibilities in the pre-meeting packet at a lower priority, Caudle said, and the city is able to exchange certain intersections for others for the scope of the project, provided everything stays within the allotted budget.
Councilman Billy Pritchard suggested the city take two weeks to review its options before making any final decisions, to which council members agreed.
In the formal meeting, the council also held a public hearing to vacate the cul-de-sac on the west end of Ridge Crest Road. Council approved the vacation, which divided the cul-de-sac and gives a portion to the neighboring owners. One owner is a resident of the neighboring lot, while the other adjacent lot belongs to the city.
The parcel, which was previously part of the city’s right of way, was divided into two sections: 0.06 acres and 0.17 acres, with the resident obtaining the larger of the two sections. City attorney Whit Colvin said this was not enough for a subdivision, although current zoning — which he believes is residential — applies to both parcels and will continue to apply in the future.
While the original vacation fee for the neighbor to gain ownership of the lot was $15,227, Colvin said the city and the resident involved have reached an agreement that the payment will be made through in-kind services, such as the removal of the cul-de-sac, the installation of a curb, renovation of the infrastructure and re-landscaping the area, “which will cost well in excess of the $15,000 that the vacation fees [would have been],” he said.
Resident Mark Drummond spoke positively of the ROW vacation, explaining that it may help take care of recent parking and trash problems the neighborhood has seen in the cul-de-sac.
“We think it would be a tremendous addition, really, to our subdivision,” Drummond said. “We think this will be a wonderful thing for our neighborhood.”
Also during council on Oct. 28, council members:
- Approved the minutes of the Oct. 9, 2017 regular meeting.
- Approved an independent traffic study by Skipper Consulting of the proposed Overton Road condominiums. While this traffic study is preceding the approval of the project, the goal is to help council members make an informed decision regarding the proposed condominiums.
- Reviewed the Chamber of Commerce semi-annual report.
- Reviewed the bid for library roof repairs, to be decided upon at the next council meeting. The proposed total to replace the roof is approximately $73,000.
- Approved a resolution appointing a member to the Parks and Recreation Board to serve without compensation through Jan. 9, 2021 to fill the unexpired term of Keehn Berry.
- Approved a resolution declaring certain personal property surplus and authorizing its sale at public Internet auction.
- Approved a resolution authorizing the execution of a service agreement between the City and Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
Council also met for a special session on Oct. 30 to review a request for a restaurant retail liquor license for Root to Tail. The request was approved.
The next council meeting will be on Nov. 13.
Editor's note: This article was updated on Oct. 31 at 9 a.m. to include the result of the special council session.