Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves rezoning for 1240 22nd Street South after contentious public hearing
Summary
The Birmingham City Council on May 5 approved rezoning of 1240 22nd Street South from R‑6 to mixed‑use medium to permit a proposed hotel-and-condominium project. Staff noted the site is about 0.81 acres and the developer said the building would total roughly 124,000 sq ft with a proposed height of 125 feet; a separate variance for height must be sought from the ZBA.
On May 5 the Birmingham City Council voted to rezone a 0.81‑acre property at 1240 22nd Street South from R‑6 multiple dwelling district to MUM (mixed‑use medium), allowing the applicant to pursue a planned hotel-and-condominium project.
Kim Spruill, the city zoning administrator, told the council the applicant proposes a mixed‑use building with an estimated gross floor area of about 124,000 square feet and a proposed height of 125 feet; the property would require a variance for height from the city's zoning board of adjustment if the rezoning is approved. Spruill said the site is in the Southern Framework Plan area and that the planning and zoning committee recommended the rezoning without conditions to the full council.
Applicant counsel Randall Miner and developer David Silverstein described a two‑component project: an upper‑end hospitality component and condominiums on the top floors. Miner said the development team revised an earlier application in response to neighborhood feedback and intends to seek a separate variance on height from the ZBA. Silverstein said the team expects an approximately 80‑room hotel with up to 30 condominiums and compared the project’s scale to other recent downtown investments.
Paul Gudney, president of the Southside Neighborhood Association, testified during the public hearing that traffic, steep walk routes and a lack of neighborhood retail would limit walkability for hotel guests. "I don't see how this neighborhood can support any traffic flow for something like a hotel," he said, citing steep hills and a gap in nearby services. He also warned of a local oversupply of apartments and retail vacancies.
Council discussion focused on neighbor votes and the separate height variance. Spruill reported the Redmont Park Neighborhood Association had 4 votes in favor and 23 against the rezoning, while Highland Park recorded 20 in support and 4 not in favor. Council members asked whether the rezoning in itself would permit hospitality uses; Miner responded that mixed‑use medium permits hospitality as‑of‑right and the zoning decision simply aligns the parcel with the city's long‑range land‑use designation. When asked how many hotel rooms were planned, the applicant said about 80 rooms and up to 30 condominiums.
The council approved the rezoning on the motion before it. The developer and neighborhood groups will next appear before the ZBA for any height variance; approval of that variance is necessary for the project to be built at the proposed 125‑foot height.
The council did not record a detailed roll‑call tally in the meeting transcript for this item; the record indicates the motion carried.
