Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use And Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents say demolition breached commitments after rezoning; city officials say demolition permits and asbestos reports were obtained
Summary
Neighbors asked the council why a historic house referred to as the Rock House was demolished despite assurances it would remain; city staff said demolition permits and asbestos reports were obtained and that zoning approved an office designation that allowed the property owner to remove the structure.
Residents raised concerns at the Irondale City Council meeting about demolition of a house at or near 2201 Fitzgerald South after a developer-led project that involved a rezoning was approved. Speakers said the property was promised to remain in place during negotiations but was later demolished.
Elizabeth Albritton, who identified herself during public comment, told the council she and other residents were “exceptionally disappointed” that the house — which she described as the stone house at 2201 Fitzgerald South — had been demolished despite representations it would be preserved. She asked whether there had been any breakdown in required due process and what legal options the city might have.
Council President Spivey said he learned of the demolition on Friday and was “extremely disappointed,” and he asked city staff for more information. Inspector Cochran responded on the record that the project had obtained asbestos reports and demolition permits and that the property owner had completed those steps. A staff speaker later said the lots’ allowed uses are governed by the city zoning: the property was rezoned to an office classification and the city’s zoning rules do not prohibit an owner from removing a residence on a lot if the new zoning allows a different use.
Council members and staff acknowledged the public’s frustration that what was said during the rezoning discussion appeared to differ from the action taken on the site. One council member said she had voted against the rezoning; another said the situation was legally aboveboard but ethically disappointing. The council did not take immediate formal action at the meeting; the mayor and council president said they would seek additional information before deciding on next steps.
Ending: City staff said permits and asbestos testing were completed before demolition; council members expressed a desire to investigate communications and whether city processes could have been clearer to residents.
