Irondale board approves Grants Mill permit amid environmental and drainage concerns

Irondale City board members voted to approve a development permit for the Grants Mill Road property after public comment raised environmental and traffic concerns, but the approval was made subject to subsequent approvals by the appropriate review bodies and city staff.

Residents at the hearing urged the board to delay or tighten review of the proposal, citing proximity to the Cahaba River and potential runoff risks. Jenny Brown, a longtime Irondale resident who said she has worked with Freshwater Land Trust, told the board, "It is a source of about 50% of Birmingham's drinking water and one-fifth of Alabama's total drinking water." Michael Ann Markowitz, another nearby resident, pointed to the city's stormwater plan and asked how the project would meet its low-impact development or green-infrastructure requirements.

Those concerns prompted staff to summarize the city's permitting rules and the project team's submissions. A city…