Historic‑district commission approves 4‑unit townhomes at 905 Almond Avenue amid neighbor concerns

The Tuscaloosa Historic Preservation Commission voted 5‑2 on Feb. 11 to approve a certificate of appropriateness for a four‑unit townhome development at 905 Almond Avenue, a new‑construction project staff described as Tudor/Tudor‑revival in materials and massing.

The applicant, Crawford Nixon and Overcash Design Studio, presented plans that keep an existing Gothic‑style residence, add four rear units with separate courtyard entries and provide 10 designated parking stalls to the rear. Chandler Overcash told commissioners the team calculated the 35% rear‑yard parking limit based on the number of stalls rather than the full paved drive aisle: “We calculated just the parking spaces,” he said.

Neighbors and an attorney for the Hughes family urged the commission to pause the vote until questions about the rear‑yard impacts were resolved. Attorney Matt Akin said the application lacked sufficient analysis of impacts to an adjacent property, citing concerns about scale, massing and the effect of a single ingress/egress point that runs along the Grimes property: “This application is not right,” Akin told the commission, adding that retaining‑wall stability, lighting and tree protection needed more detail.

Commission discussion centered on how to interpret design‑guideline limits for rear‑yard parking, whether pervious pavers and a narrowed drive aisle adequately protect roots and whether the design’s orientation and rhythm fit the block. Staff said the parking calculation they used counts designated stalls only and excludes the drive aisle, a distinction commissioners stressed they had not often confronted on prior single‑family cases.

Commissioner objections focused on process and neighborhood outreach rather than the elevations. A motion to continue the matter was proposed but the property owner declined to postpone the hearing. With five members voting to approve and two voting no, the certificate passed. Chair Kathy Pagani said city staff and applicants must treat any subsequent changes as revisions that may require return to the commission; a final staff inspection will verify compliance.

The project will also proceed to other city permitting and planning steps; staff told the commission that pre‑design reviews with the city engineer and fire officials had occurred and that developers intend to use pervious pavers and to preserve two mature trees where possible.

Next steps: the developer may begin permitting; any material change to the approved drawings will require re‑submission to the commission and a final inspection will be performed before work is considered complete.