Birmingham Planning Board hears four firms pitch rewrite of zoning code tied to 2040 plan

The Birmingham Planning Board on Nov. 12 heard 15-minute presentations from four consultant teams competing to write or modernize the city's zoning ordinance to implement Birmingham's 2040 plan.

Brett Keith, owner and CEO of Kennedy Keith Collaborative and Encode Plus, told the board his team would build on the existing ordinance and deliver an online, searchable code integrated with GIS. "We will create a zoning ordinance update that is uniquely Birmingham," Keith said, adding that Encode Plus offers pop-up definitions, development calculators and a linked map so users can type an address and see applicable regulations. He said the city already pays recurring platform fees and that staff could manage many future edits without re-hiring the firm.

John Hauseal of Hauseal Levine emphasized visualization and calibration between…