Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Birmingham amends open‑space rules: stone removed from impermeable list, new vegetated minimums for single‑family yards
Summary
The City Commission adopted zoning ordinance amendments that revise the definition of impervious surface and require at least 75% of required open space in single‑family lots to be vegetated, limiting extensive stone and hardscape front yards.
The City Commission voted to amend Chapter 126 of the zoning code on Aug. 11 to clarify what counts as impervious surface and to tighten open‑space composition standards for single‑family properties.
What changed: The updated definition removes a blanket label of "stone" as an impervious surface and instead refines the term to focus on surfaces that truly restrict infiltration, including highly compacted soils and engineered paving assemblies. At the same time the code now requires that, of the 40% minimum open space required in single‑family…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
