[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6232970,"mediaKeyId","3425574-3cb4dcad94d938adcc1704b9ae766c4b","parentId",3425574,"title","Homewood public works carries over request to retroactively approve hedge plantings in right-of-way at 214 Edgewood","audioSeconds",255,"startMs",3305000,"endMs",3560000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3425574-3cb4dcad94d938adcc1704b9ae766c4b&start=3305&end=3560","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3425574-3cb4dcad94d938adcc1704b9ae766c4b/thumbnail_3305000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6232970/Homewood-City/Jefferson-County/Alabama/Homewood-public-works-carries-over-request-to-retroactively-approve-hedge-plantings-in-right-of-way-at-214-Edgewood","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232970-81a90ddafad1b8c8d907a10f258311cf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184086&Signature=U-K6gsD7JWoMTpBfc0ZuRvCnZKnehpuhTK9~UxZW9L0W6DksItvaE~DIFJmVJnJoK4JJDV2AtqtygKnO5AoRcHsMj5p2l5v95L8a9dgMGMi98IWmb~mGiQp~7vFRF7kxyC6wXBCru037ikMZLlZ0uEw24dAVwAHpJxf~VbI2KkJe6vHw4iPtEJ4qv--iLYbznsTXalpHWktIgpHLG2QLfCSPR10y9kxRfkcGaQbF0QBI4WbrteKtCvjLm6v0a6oMCaVgpmOceO2jJaI9iZutL-AfG9dNafDf2md-3NDAsuRZ43BLrvy1Ux-EmN2VTbfN0TQdYUOzsKBHI2VM8uEFKw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Homewood, AL","date","2025-05-21T15:45:35.74Z","article","The Homewood Public Works Committee on May 19 heard a request to retroactively approve trees and a perimeter hedge planted along the sidewalk at 214 Edgewood Boulevard. The planting team said the screening had existed historically and was intended to be reinstated; the city’s staff and committee members responded that any work in the public right-of-way must receive prior written approval and normally requires an indemnification agreement.

Landscape consultant Bridal Garrett told the committee the plantings were intended to restore a long-standing privacy screen and to screen pool equipment and mechanicals associated with a new in-ground pool that previously received zoning variances. Garrett said design and permitting work began before the landscape section of the zoning code was fully aligned with the new ordinance and that the team believed the plantings were consistent with earlier approvals.

City staff and committee concerns
Committee members emphasized that Homewood’s right-of-way is city property and that “if you work in the right-of-way you have to have permission,” as a committee member put it. Members said the record shows the property had prior variances and BZA hearings that referenced perimeter screening, but that prior variances do not substitute for a right-of-way approval or indemnification agreement required for new plantings in city-controlled sidewalks or strips.

Committee action and conditions discussed
Public Works carried the item over without objection and directed the applicant group to provide a legal description or a survey showing the exact property and right-of-way lines. Committee members also identified potential conditions for approval, including a recorded indemnification agreement that would: place maintenance responsibility with the property owner, require the owner to repair sidewalks if tree roots later damage paving, and ensure the city has access for utility or maintenance work.

Committee members noted two themes in the discussion: fairness and precedent (members said it would be unfair to grant retroactive permission when other residents had been denied similar requests after applying properly) and public-safety/sidewalk-maintenance risk from tree roots. Neighbors and applicants said the hedge was important for privacy and visual screening; the committee asked for a formal, recorded proposal with a clear legal description before making a decision.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Homewood Committee Meetings - May 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Homewood’s Public Works Committee on May 19 carried over a request to retroactively approve new hedge plantings in the city right-of-way at 214 Edgewood Boulevard, telling applicants that right-of-way work requires prior approval and an indemnification agreement.","taxTitle","Homewood City, Jefferson County, Alabama","taxId",65544,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6232973,"Heavy rain overwhelms Kenilworth stormwater controls; city says temporary fixes in place",67,1069000,1136000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3425574-3cb4dcad94d938adcc1704b9ae766c4b&start=1069&end=1136","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3425574-3cb4dcad94d938adcc1704b9ae766c4b/thumbnail_1069000.jpg","/articles/6232973/Homewood-City/Jefferson-County/Alabama/Heavy-rain-overwhelms-Kenilworth-stormwater-controls-city-says-temporary-fixes-in-place","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232973-c2560b5d28ebd483df5f6db5efb94dc2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184086&Signature=AfZrnSlRrCYwDGfN7-2zocGCipqusyB3gezP637-sTCKJDyKlB7AWpciLBqlRe0pk8PbuB8bYpN5xV~gFASfTIFew7ZbZB51YxyLJES9ZybsBht5Lr80uZ3nH5oB6JY2obP-Ed22bvkLF5S-7ty-Am4pJ2j4tjJqpOdLx5nV90pDcwDKNW8kNN3ihU1lHTMX~xDOGs9NIg6g84gAfqePs~qWBrYC-hC8U4FiYtunPZX1a5y9ZkZ-sDS~3SoLR8H4VubDbcUrLpZuJnh4M0RsTdayNGwnA73U2unCcbQN7wztxKjkNxrghXgl7lMPUAoUQ70oj7lYdhAAU-HiHCASdA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Homewood city staff reported on May 19 that temporary erosion-control and structural best-management practices (BMPs) at the Kenilworth stormwater project failed during a heavy rain event, flooding a nearby house and exposing yard and foundation issues.

City staff said the rain amounted to a five- to ten-year intensity event; the house at 433 Hillwood received stormwater intrusion and soil erosion that exposed the yard and undermined sod. Staff, the contractor and the homeowner met the day of the event to implement immediate measures; another meeting followed the next day to plan permanent repairs. City staff said further change orders are likely because of unit-price adjustments in the contract.

Staff description and immediate steps
Councilor Smith (staff presenter) told the finance committee that ‘‘we had two inches of rain in about an hour yesterday, which is about a five- to ten-year event for intensity. And so yesterday, John Wood's house flooded.’’ City personnel and the contractor met with the homeowner the afternoon after the storm and again the following day to secure the site and identify a path to the project’s finish line.

Contract and next steps
Staff said temporary measures are in place and that contractors will likely submit change-order requests to cover additional work created by the storm and differing unit prices. Committee members agreed to continue monitoring the project and to carry the item forward to future meetings for further updates.

No formal financial appropriation or policy decision was made at the May 19 meeting; staff said they would report back as the contractor finalizes repairs and the city evaluates any change orders.","After roughly 2 inches of rain in an hour, erosion-control and structural BMPs failed at the Kenilworth stormwater project, flooding a house at 433 Hillwood. City staff and the contractor identified immediate fixes and said further change orders and monitoring are likely as the project moves toward completion.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6232979,"Homewood waives late-license penalties for two businesses, denies third after repeat delinquencies",1025,1275000,2300000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3425574-3cb4dcad94d938adcc1704b9ae766c4b&start=1275&end=2300","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3425574-3cb4dcad94d938adcc1704b9ae766c4b/thumbnail_1275000.jpg","/articles/6232979/Homewood-City/Jefferson-County/Alabama/Homewood-waives-late-license-penalties-for-two-businesses-denies-third-after-repeat-delinquencies","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232979-12c52fd59b8e4ffc6065f8205c33f3b6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184086&Signature=RrdP~2e9bSZi8NtCDKwiYmaWJ9HC1BeiSukYovG8y7fnKdB7T~c4MzxfBW3sqhYN8iOBHgv7OAYKkkLyRW2sFtqcMSQSbcvrxRpqHcUN4Bwh8-hbczVBADd~tCqvzeXg5BDf4Hjtvk7AoRR33D~eXR4JcEoonvHc~wNpIGXl~7jH-uipmLL~z6YBwbX5EEGsFLrPRmoJkqB4gRBBkTXKX-i4hCYY8HAfEAQxLkwv6W0PY7wdxFLsLHtaa9BoxQW~dYX67bPJFkFQqVr09b-LMoKvsxBLSGEnsAKo1eT2aVTv0N6I49ylDAn4hvG-jLJaCzsnpAylc0LMoQGSlGpG5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Homewood Finance Committee on May 19 approved waivers of late-license penalties for two small businesses and denied a third request following repeated late filings and mixed documentation.

The committee said it would consider penalty waivers case by case and noted that interest on delinquent amounts is generally not waivable under state law; the committee used discretionary authority to forgive penalties and, in one case, associated interest.

What the committee decided
- For a business owner who said she suffered serious post‑COVID illness and rehabilitation and had multiple years of missed business-license filings, the committee voted 3–1 to forgive the stated penalties and interest on past-due business-license charges, provided the remaining balance (license fees) be paid within 30 days. The committee recorded concern about setting a precedent but cited documented medical hardship when reaching the outcome.

- Constantine International Foods (operating as Najee’s Pita Gourmet) had already paid its current license fee and asked the city to waive a $4,278.89 penalty that resulted from an ownership change and a software-transition issue. The committee unanimously granted that waiver; staff said no interest had accrued because the case was recent.

- A third business (Gripesons) sought waiver of a $2,689.28 penalty for a late 2024 filing and asserted that an office manager’s death and other staffing problems caused the lapse. Committee members said the business had a prior late filing and the owner or representative did not appear for the hearing; members denied the waiver request.

How the city framed its discretion
City staff told the committee that municipal code allows waiver of penalties but not interest in many cases, and that the interest collected is paid to the city. Committee members asked whether waivers risk creating a precedent; several members said they would handle future cases on a case-by-case basis and that documented, verifiable hardship would be an important criterion.

At the hearing, one business owner said, “I still have trouble. Somehow that license that was hanging there … got missed,” and asked for compassion because poor health had limited her capacity to manage the business. That owner agreed to pay current licensing fees and to resolve the outstanding balance if the penalties were waived.

The committee formalized the three decisions during its May meeting and directed staff to implement payments or follow-up as described.","Finance committee forgave penalties and interest for one business owner with documented medical hardship and forgave penalty for a second business that paid, while denying a third repeat applicant's request after the owner failed to appear.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6232984,"Homewood committees send Samford-backed Creekside West plans to public hearings as developers outline $26 million tax-rebate request",6511,240000,6751000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3425574-3cb4dcad94d938adcc1704b9ae766c4b&start=240&end=6751","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3425574-3cb4dcad94d938adcc1704b9ae766c4b/thumbnail_240000.jpg","/articles/6232984/Homewood-City/Jefferson-County/Alabama/Homewood-committees-send-Samford-backed-Creekside-West-plans-to-public-hearings-as-developers-outline-26-million-tax-rebate-request","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232984-2ce0b4a95563e8bf2a5b2f360f532234/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184086&Signature=WsgKNrdAlKczCLMoDvXJeb0~vD9VkZbr2cMV1HpJu3aX3mjvDfFQoh9wrNMGq8CFpBKU7Uo6khuLwp7qygMw0kJ34k9XyceULo~dL4w3PJKSP4EIYtMes~t~ip7FzepBBi~LchnjKBUx8kkzHYiMSL6ahlOhQ1~IDwGy~yKcVkgrHMjYzDGDtqBeD5CsiLJlHv7yBYx9LH~Xrfjk1C7MjJlJ494LL0KqixeztAfQoYOMB9F8cX12hVfM8hGJ5hDD8c-z3z9fcplXSpQ5ppU6n9KwXWKuOqWG98~EirdJL0M0eCEUuVItKEcWpszHzPJUOk4wllMqeJ8Xu8ZBGzhhjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City planning and finance committees on May 19 advanced the rezoning and development-plan packages for the proposed Creekside West mixed-use district — a Samford University–anchored project presented by Landmark Development — to public hearings, while saying the city will consider any tax-incentive request in a separate finance review.

Developers told committees the project would be built in phases over several years and that they are seeking a financing structure that would capture a portion of new lodging and sales taxes for up to 20 years, capped at $26,000,000. Bob Dunn of Landmark Development and Lynette Bridal, of the Landmark team, described a project that includes mixed-use housing, retail and a hotel, and estimated roughly $104,000,000 in infrastructure costs associated with the site.

Why it matters: The development would change land use along Lakeshore Drive and, according to the developer’s consultants, generate substantial new tax revenue for the city and Homewood City Schools. Committees emphasized that environmental, traffic and school impacts — and the details of any incentive package — need to be addressed before final approvals.

Developers’ description and fiscal proposal
Bob Dunn, representing Landmark Development, summarized the redevelopment concept and the team’s fiscal case. “We do view [the Community Investment Program] differently than traditional forms of tax incentive,” Dunn said, characterizing the proposal as an infrastructure-focused rebate tied to a multi-phase, mixed-use district rather than a single-project subsidy. Dunn said the developer hired AECOM and PFM to analyze fiscal impacts and that the firms produced similar results.

Lynette Bridal, identified as part of the Landmark Development team, described terms in the draft development agreement. Bridal said the agreement would allow the developer to capture Creekside West lodging tax revenues and sales tax increment for a period tied to a 20-year discounted value, while excluding any tax revenues that go to the school district. She said the team expects to shoulder the $104 million infrastructure estimate and to finance that cost in private capital markets.

“Our structure means there can only be fiscal gain to the city,” Dunn told committee members, adding the developer would bear the downside risk if forecasts fall short.

Changes since earlier filings
Committee discussion included items the developer said were removed or scaled back after community input. Dunn said plans to develop Creekside East were pulled back after the city and developer discussed environmental concerns, including protections for Salamander habitat along Shades Creek. Dunn also said the developer is open to lowering the proposed hotel height if that helps advance a city consensus.

Committee action and next steps
A motion from the planning and development committee sent four rezoning and development-plan items related to Creekside West and Creekside East to public hearings (scheduled for June) without recommendation, to allow full public testimony. Committee members said the incentives request will be considered separately in finance because the city must first know what development would be created before deciding whether to extend tax-sharing or rebate terms.

What remains unsettled
Committee members and residents raised traffic, stormwater and school-capacity concerns. Developers said the housing component would include several hundred units (the developer described an approximate 430–435-unit residential component during committee discussion) and that the full project could be developed over roughly seven to ten years.

The committees did not approve incentives; members said a separate finance committee review will examine the proposed 20-year rebate capped at $26,000,000 and the claimed fiscal returns before any final city decision.

Public hearings on the rezoning and development-plan items are scheduled in June; the city’s finance committee will later receive the detailed incentive proposal for review.","Landmark Development and Samford representatives outlined a mixed-use Creekside West plan and a proposed 20-year tax-rebate framework capped at $26 million. Committees advanced rezoning and development-plan items to public hearings; separate finance review of incentive terms will follow.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6232965,"Homewood committees set public hearing for Oxmoor traffic-calming after staff recommends permanent speed tables",2231,5179000,7410000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3425574-3cb4dcad94d938adcc1704b9ae766c4b&start=5179&end=7410","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3425574-3cb4dcad94d938adcc1704b9ae766c4b/thumbnail_5179000.jpg","/articles/6232965/Homewood-City/Jefferson-County/Alabama/Homewood-committees-set-public-hearing-for-Oxmoor-traffic-calming-after-staff-recommends-permanent-speed-tables","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6232965-41f654ad36b41766f140a0adc8602789/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184086&Signature=AKPOVwKsXWyT2E12VVFT56UWm6s~gBCWS3BtqOrA4o-AOKqN680GBbcFgqa8iVxjHCrs-WGLyPqZBJ2VZ4h7H35UFTccCY~-Ar-xrIC2jAm9Fysn2SLQl23jRQwaMJ-oYSeOftg8CMKNYfF6aRJ2WoO3nOp021wLIfMjbhRkyGa72NtAQijz7ytzu~N5zsgJlMjnCnEJ8XSCPVcbqdgjgEwIbUAedZ91KtIxe00pdLXHBfHnqZ~dSJ8ZRbJkhPEYo9ji7t5SgpxXss89EwYeaK0SJyWbyYDJk6gVuw7R02S6GVNyu59OFcbRwODKf~cwyVxJLCsWaUFn~EtIrZflYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Homewood public-safety and public-works committees on May 19 moved forward on a traffic-calming plan for the north end of Oxmoor Road after staff presented speed and volume data indicating repeat speeding and resident safety concerns.

Staff findings and recommendation
City traffic counts supplied to committees showed 85th-percentile speeds between 32 and 36 mph in locations where the speed limit is 25 mph; counts at one location measured average annual daily traffic (AADT) of roughly 2,111 vehicles eastbound and 1,649 vehicles westbound. Staff and the police recommended measures that would calm traffic without blocking emergency access; those recommendations included installing permanent asphalt speed tables or similar engineered devices rather than the short-term rubber products that have caused vehicle damage where used previously in the city.

Committee direction and funding
Public-safety committee members and the mayor urged a permanent solution; one committee member cited earlier problems with temporary rubber humps on Roseland that caused vehicle damage. The committee voted to set a public hearing (scheduled by the committee for July) and to proceed with planning and public notice.

Public Works moved to contract a right-of-way and design survey now so staff could provide a defined scope and budget for the project in an upcoming finance request. Public Works voted to forward a budget amendment to finance for consideration of funding for the survey; the transfer and survey recommendation were approved unanimously in committee.

Next steps
Staff will prepare required public notices, complete the initial survey and design scope, and return to council with a budget and design recommendation after the hearing. Committee members asked staff to prioritize permanent asphalt speed tables that minimize damage to vehicles and provide safe emergency access.","Public-safety and public-works committees agreed to advance a traffic-calming plan for Oxmoor Road and to budget for the preliminary survey. Committees favored permanent asphalt speed tables (rather than temporary rubber cushions), set a public hearing for July, and asked staff to contract a survey to scope the work for budgeting and design.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Homewood public works carries over request to retroactively approve hedge plantings in right-of-way at 214 Edgewood

Heavy rain overwhelms Kenilworth stormwater controls; city says temporary fixes in place

Homewood waives late-license penalties for two businesses, denies third after repeat delinquencies

Homewood committees send Samford-backed Creekside West plans to public hearings as developers outline $26 million tax-rebate request

Homewood committees set public hearing for Oxmoor traffic-calming after staff recommends permanent speed tables