Jefferson County has moved a step closer to a resolution of a developer’s zoning request for property in the McCalla area.

The developer initially sought to put 100 garden homes at 7150 Lou George Loop. Citing concern over density, the commission denied the request on Jan. 11.

The amended request that came to the commission Thursday has the developer seeking R-1 single-family zoning for 61 proposed lots, E-1 estate zoning for three proposed lots and CEM-1 zoning for a cemetery on the site.

Some residents – including the president of the homeowners’ association of a nearby subdivision – repeated their opposition to the project. The developer asked to delay the deliberation for them to determine line of sight for an altered entrance to the proposed development.

The matter will come back to the commission on Feb. 6.

“They’re going to make that presentation one more time,” Commission President Jimmie Stephens said. “There will not be a public hearing. We will move from that point to make a resolution, to either vote it up or down.

“Usually when you try to work in a negotiation, if you reach some type of resolution where both sides are really not happy, you’ve reached pretty much where you’re going to be,” Stephens said. “I can see we’re close to where we need to be. I don’t know that we will ever make the existing residents completely happy, nor will we ever make the developer completely happy.”

The commission president said compromise will be found somewhere between the stance of the developer and the neighbors.

“They’re really trying to work together,” he said. “I think that we have something that will be good for the community.”

The commission meeting, which followed an earlier commission committee meeting, began with a proclamation for retiring Probate Judge Sherri C. Friday. She expressed excitement about retirement as her first grandchild is on the way.

Friday said she likely won’t be a stranger at the courthouse as she will likely continue to advocate for guardianship and mental health.

“Please continue to do everything you can for our senior population here in the county and our population that suffers from mental illness,” she said. “They need your support desperately in the state.”

Friday also acknowledged Probate Judge Jim Naftel II, who did not seek reelection and will return to his private law practice.

“He has been such a delight,” Friday said of Naftel. “He’s so much fun, and he’s funny. Y’all know that he’s funny, and he listens to you. He’s like me; we don’t take ourselves too seriously, do we Jim?”

Regional Accolades

Thursday’s meeting included acknowledgement of Jefferson County having been named one of five award-winners for regional bond deal of the year.

The acknowledgement came after the county early this year refinanced $2.24 billion in sewer debt that had been in place since the county was declared out of bankruptcy in 2013. The deal saved $1.17 billion over the life of the debt and will stabilize rate increases.

County officials had hoped the county would receive the national honor, but it fell short of that recognition.

“When we didn’t receive the nationwide award, we looked kind of down,” Stephens said. “I said, No, we’re already winners. Look where we’ve come from, and look where we are, and think of the quality of life of citizens of Birmingham and Jefferson County and where they are and where they were.

“No, no, we’ve already won,” he continued. “We won that when we brought over $600 million of present value savings and over a billion over the life of the issue. So, no, you’ve won and we appreciate you sticking with us and having confidence in this commission to do what was done and move forward.”