Mountain Brook Council to pursue plans for Village Circle

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The Mountain Brook City Council, at its regular meeting for Monday, Aug. 24, passed a resolution approving the city’s participation in a study of design and landscape options for Village Circle in Mountain Brook Village.

The Council unanimously authorized the execution of some professional service agreements with Olin Studio, Landau Design + Technology and local firm Nimrod Long & Associates for modifications of the traffic islands located in the Circle.

The costs for the city would be $16,500 for the Olin Studio design fee plus the cost of combining the two traffic islands, according to the agenda item.

However, the city is not obligated to pay the Olin fee until Sim Johnson, chair of the Board of Landscape Design, is able to raise additional private monies of about $55,000 to pay for the rest of the design fees on the project.

The contracts are still being reviewed by City Attorney Whit Colvin, but officials said the passage of the resolution would show the city’s commitment to the project.

The plan was presented to the Council on August 10, when members and Mayor Stewart Welch verbally expressed support for the project.

Johnson has since been fundraising and asks that prospective donors or others interested in the project contact him at simeonjohnson@msn.com.

Other items:

  • Members passed a resolution authorizing a professional services agreement between the city and Matrix Consulting Group of San Mateo, California, to conduct a thorough review of the city’s emergency communications district and dispatch operations.
  • The Council voted to approve a contract for some honor guard training for Police and Fire Department personnel.
  • The Council made some reappointments to boards. Brian Barrett was reappointed to the Village Design Review Committee, Rhett Loveman to the Board of Zoning Adjustment (B.Z.A.) and Helen Drennen to the Parks and Recreation Board.
  • Members voted to amend the city’s Safer at Home policy and grant Shanda Williams, superintendent of Parks and Recreation, some discretion in opening restrooms at playing fields for use by athletic groups.
  • Members also voted to offer Mountain Brook Athletics, Mountain Brook Soccer and Mountain Brook Lacrosse partial credit on their use of the fields in 2021 since they missed part of their 2020 seasons due to COVID-19 shutdown.
  • They approved resolutions expressing gratitude to William Hereford for his service on the B.Z.A. and celebrating Women’s Equality Day proclamation.