Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Residential Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission backs Hargrove Heights rezoning and preliminary plat for 24 townhomes
Summary
The Tuscaloosa Planning and Zoning Commission recommended rezoning 4.6 acres at Hargrove Road East from SFR‑1 to SFR‑4 and approved a preliminary plat for 24 townhome lots after staff and the developer said the project meets code and a traffic study; nearby residents had urged lower density and raised traffic and service concerns.
The Tuscaloosa Planning and Zoning Commission on July 20 recommended rezoning about 4.6 acres at Hargrove Road East from SFR‑1 to SFR‑4 and approved a preliminary plat for 24 townhome lots (the first phase of a two‑phase development).
City staff told the commission the requested SFR‑4 designation is consistent with the framework land‑use map’s suburban residential character and that engineering supports a cul‑de‑sac variance for a hammerhead fire turnaround. Developer representatives said they had prepared renderings, met parking and fire code requirements and had a traffic study that showed the development would not reduce the roadway level of service.
Neighbors who spoke at public comment urged the commission to reject or reduce the request. Chris Allen, who said he lives directly east of the site, told the panel the project’s density would add “about 50 cars” to a one‑way neighborhood entrance and would change the area’s character. Several residents raised related concerns about school traffic, on‑street overflow parking, a lack of promised privacy fencing from an adjacent apartment project and how garbage collection would be handled.
Commission members asked detailed questions about parking layout, guest spaces and whether rear‑loaded parking or alleys could reduce curbside spillover. The developer said the plan provides additional guest parking in the center of the site and that an HOA would maintain common areas and the proposed detention pond. Engineering staff noted any centralized dumpster on the site would require an ESD variance and would be addressed in the Land Development Permit review.
After discussion, the commission voted to recommend approval of the rezoning and approved the preliminary plat and the engineering variance for the fire turnaround. Commissioners who voted against said they remained unconvinced about parking, circulation and trash management and urged continued neighborhood engagement before the council consideration. The city council will make the final decision on the rezoning.
