Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Birmingham hires Houssey Levine for comprehensive zoning ordinance update
Summary
The Birmingham City Commission unanimously approved a contract not to exceed $199,855 with Houssey Levine to rewrite and modernize the city’s zoning ordinance, including a sign‑code update, GIS deliverables and a year‑and‑a‑half public outreach plan.
The Birmingham City Commission unanimously approved a contract on a staff recommendation to hire Houssey Levine to lead a comprehensive rewrite of the city’s zoning ordinance.
The contract, approved in an amount not to exceed $199,855 from budget account 1010701000811000, follows a competitive process in which the city received six proposals and the planning board recommended Houssey Levine after interviews and review. Planning Director Nick Dupuis told the commission the firm was selected for its graphics, GIS capabilities and national experience.
At a kickoff presentation, a Houssey Levine principal described the update as a year‑and‑a‑half project that will produce an enhanced GIS database and six targeted public communication campaigns. "Zoning can be complicated. It shouldn't be," the presenter said, stressing outreach through focus groups, open houses and an interactive project website.
Project manager Carrie Papelbon outlined a phased approach: an existing‑conditions analysis, preliminary recommendations incorporating GIS work, revisions to district and use standards, updates to design and sign regulations, and procedural clarifications culminating in adoption by the planning board and the city commission.
Commissioners asked how the firm would use technology and whether AI would be applied to drafting. The firm responded that it would not use AI to write ordinance text and described a tool, Euclid HL, that interprets user questions against city documents rather than searching the internet.
Mayor Clinton Balor and others emphasized the importance of clearly flagging items that represent policy changes versus clarifications in the draft code. "If we make a change to the code for clarification purposes or to address something that isn't adequately addressed now, we will make sure to note that," a Houssey Levine representative said.
The contract was presented as being under budget relative to the appropriation the commission set aside for the project. The commission voted unanimously to authorize the agreement and for the mayor and city clerk to sign on the city's behalf.
Next steps: staff and the consultant will begin outreach and the planning board will participate in a series of working sessions as the firm develops preliminary recommendations and draft ordinance language.
