Developer Randy Brooks of Gardendale Fifty, LLC, displays plans for the Wind Crest senior living community to the Gardendale City Council during Monday night’s meeting. The council approved rezoning property for the project with a 4-1 vote.

By Adam Smith

The North Jefferson News



Developers of a proposed senior living community can now begin work on the project after the Gardendale City Council approved a rezoning ordinance Monday night.

The ordinance rezones portions of Bauers Lane from Institutional District and single-family residential district to a PUD, or planned unit development.

The private gated community, dubbed Wind Crest, will feature a mix of town homes, garden homes, condos and retail development. The development will also feature a 180-bed assisted living facility. Homes in the community will range from $150,000 to more than $200,000.

Last year, developer Randy Brooks of Gardendale Fifty, LLC, presented plans to the city’s planning and zoning commission and the city council and was denied rezoning by both entities. The developer’s previous plans involved building 198 town homes on 60 acres between Gardendale Elementary School and the Magnolia Ridge subdivision.

On May 20 of last year, Brooks and partner Gary Travis filed a civil lawsuit against the city on the basis they were being “deprived of property without the due process of law,” the suit said.

The case was dropped by the developers about six months ago without prejudice, allowing Gardendale Fifty to refile the suit at any time.

“It feels good,” said Brooks of the rezoning decision. “We looked at the market and the demographics and we think this will fulfill a lot of senior needs in the community.”

Though the rezoning was approved, Brooks was asked to consider at least two other stipulations for the project. Councilman Wendell Phillips requested that the city’s public works department be responsible for the maintenance of streets in the community. Another issue involved the extension of a fence around the community to block access to a drainage pond for safety reasons.

Several Gardendale residents were in attendance at Monday’s meeting to express concerns about the project and the impact it would have on neighboring subdivisions and traffic.

Councilman Gary Morris voted against the rezoning request over fears that the development would put more traffic on Mt. Olive Road, Billy Flippo Parkway and Odum Road. He said traffic signals may be needed to deal with more vehicles.

“The additional traffic that close to Gardendale Elementary School and Bragg Middle School may be unbearable,” he said. “It would make it harder to make left-hand turns [onto Odum Road].”

Brooks said the completion of the development may take up to four years, but he hopes to have Phase 1 completed by spring 2010. “We’d like to have it all done quicker, but the market will determine how soon we finish it,” he said.

In other business, the council:

• rezoned a parcel on Odum Road from R-1 (single-family residential) and RG (garden home districts) to R-2 (single-family residential district for the construction of three houses. Some Odum Road residents signed a petition against the rezoning after a rumor surfaced that apartments or cottage-style homes would be built on the property.

• hired Christopher Holsomback, Jerry Turner and David Uselton as firefighters and promoted Joseph Thomas to lieutenant and Shendarrius Perdue to apparatus operator

• heard from Public Works Superintendent Jeff Holliyan about ongoing road projects. The striping of certain city streets began on Monday and the resurfacing of Main Street will begin next week, weather permitting.