Birmingham City Council on Jan. 7 approved a rezoning to create a communal living facility at 1000 Avenue W, allowing a small, supportive residence for veterans on two combined parcels totaling 0.11 acres.

City planner Tim Gambrell said the applicant seeks to operate a communal living facility offering independent living and limited daily support; the proposed house would include four shared bedrooms with a total of up to eight beds, up to four employees and one administrator, and 24-hour staffing. The facility will work with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for placements and inspections, applicant Alicia Walters said.

Gambrell told the council the site is currently zoned R-3 (single-family) and that neighborhood and zoning advisory committees recommended approval with conditions, including combining lots, seeking any required special exceptions for front-yard parking, and implementing low-impact development measures for excess paved area.

Councilors asked whether the applicant had operating experience. Walters described more than a decade of experience in services for people with intellectual disabilities and said staffing (CNAs, LVNs or nurses as required) would be matched to residents’ needs. Gambrell said the property sits in a 500-year (shaded Zone X) floodplain with limited flood risk and that bicycle and stormwater requirements would need addressing as part of final approvals.

No members of the public spoke against the proposal and the council approved the rezoning with the committee’s conditions.