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Homewood committee approves initiating de‑annexation of 310 Happy Lane; ordinance, legal description required
Summary
The Homewood City Planning and Development Committee voted to begin de‑annexation procedures for 310 Happy Lane after a property owner said access and fire‑protection issues prevent development. Committee members directed staff to prepare an ordinance and legal description and recorded a unanimous vote to proceed.
Homewood City Planning and Development Committee members on April 7 voted unanimously to initiate de‑annexation procedures for a parcel identified as 310 Happy Lane and asked staff to prepare a formal ordinance and legal description.
The action follows comments from the property owner, who told the committee that longstanding access and fire‑protection problems have made development infeasible while the lot is inside Homewood. “I bought this land 23 years ago,” said Phil Roland, identified in the meeting as the landowner. He said the road serving the parcel does not meet the fire marshal’s access requirements and that returning the parcel to Jefferson County would permit at least one single‑family home with county fire protection.
The committee’s vote was a motion to approve the de‑annexation request, moved by Councilor Botany and seconded by Councilor Nelms. Committee members directed staff to prepare the ordinance language and a legal description before the matter moves to city council. Committee staff noted there is technically no statutory requirement for a public hearing on this de‑annexation because the property is not surrounded by another municipality, but the committee still requested the formal ordinance paperwork.
Roland said he has held the roughly 50–55 acres in that area for years and that prior attempts at development were blocked by adjacent landowners who declined to grant needed temporary grading and slope easements. He told the committee he does not have an immediate development plan for the larger tract and that de‑annexing the specific parcel would allow limited development that requires county services.
No conditions or funding actions were adopted; the committee’s directive was limited to preparing the ordinance and legal description needed to place the de‑annexation before the full City Council.
The item was introduced on the committee’s agenda as a request for consideration of de‑annexation of 310 Happy Lane. Committee members discussed the paperwork required to move the matter forward and confirmed staff would provide the legal description requested by Councilor Mike (surname not specified during the record).
