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Homewood committee declines to set public hearing on annexation of 1740 Ninth Columbiana Road
Summary
Developers proposed annexing a 2.5‑acre parcel into Homewood for four single‑family homes; neighbors raised repeated flooding concerns. Committee vote to set a 90‑day public hearing failed 0-3.
Councilor Andrews’ Planning and Development Committee heard a request on Feb. 3 to annex 1740 Ninth Columbiana Road into Homewood so the property owner could subdivide the lot and build four single‑family homes.
The developer, Jim Hoy of Hoy Homes, said he bought the property about 14 months ago and revised plans from an initial proposal for 10 homes to a plan for four “empty‑nester” houses, each about 2,500 square feet and marketed in the roughly $750,000 range. Hoy described engineering work with Arrington Engineering for topography, water flow and underground stormwater retention; he said the project team had discussed cul‑de‑sac and hydrant needs with the fire department and would connect to the existing sewer and water where available.
Neighbors urged caution and asked the committee to delay action. “My house flooded five times,” said a resident of 1741 Woodbine, who said she had hired an engineer and paid for repairs out of pocket. Ezekiel, a resident of 1747 Woodbine, said foundation repairs to his house had cost about $50,000–$60,000 and that runoff from the parcel now reaches within about 10 feet of his home. Other neighbors said the slope and rock on the parcel would require significant grading and tree removal and could worsen flooding if not engineered correctly.
Committee members and staff explained procedural constraints for annexations adjacent to another municipality. A staff member said the annexation notice requires a 90‑day publication period and that because the parcel borders Vestavia, the committee would need to send the petition out without recommendation and set a public hearing after the notice period. The staff explanation included that if the committee declined to set a public hearing, the application would effectively be denied.
A motion to move the annexation forward by sending it out without recommendation and scheduling the required public hearing (around 90 days) was made on the floor; the motion failed by a 0‑3 vote. The committee chair declared the motion failed and the meeting adjourned.
The developer and residents said further engineering and neighborhood meetings will be part of any future steps if the applicant seeks annexation again or pursues county approval.
