City may require more, wider sidewalks

Developers in Hoover may have to start building sidewalks on both sides of the street in their subdivisions and commercial developments if the city adopts proposed changes to sidewalk regulations.

And they may have to make the sidewalks wider and connect them with other nearby properties.

The Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission discussed such changes in November as part of Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato’s plan to make Hoover a more pedestrian-friendly city.

But city officials went back to the drawing board for revisions after some concerns were raised.

The proposal that was presented in November would have required developers to put sidewalks on both sides of streets and extend sidewalks on perimeter roads up to 500 feet beyond the developer’s property line if the sidewalk could be connected with an existing sidewalk.

Exceptions could be made due to physical limitations, topography and where infill construction is limited to one side of the street, but any such exceptions would have to be approved by the city engineer or Planning Commission.

The idea was to provide more connection between residential developments and other parts of the city. In many cases, subdivisions may have sidewalks within them, but the sidewalks don’t connect to anything outside the subdivision, City Planner Mac Martin Jr. said.

Some planning commissioners had concerns with the changes, so the commission tabled the matter for further consideration. Martin said city staff has been considering alterations to the wording of the proposed changes and he expects the matter to come back to the Planning Commission on Jan. 8.

Commission Chairman Mike Wood, who is semi-retired from residential building and development, said he has no problem with the idea of sidewalks on both sides of the street, but he thinks the requirement needs to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

He was especially concerned about the requirement to connect to other properties outside the property owned by the developer, he said. There are a lot of factors that have to be taken into consideration, such as retaining walls, bridges, utility pipes and trees that are in the way, he said.

Martin said there also could be an issue where there is not enough right-of-way for the developer to put in a sidewalk. There may be some cases where it’s not a project the developers can take on by themselves, he said.

Some people have questioned whether sidewalks are needed in subdivisions with large lots or subdivisions where homes are spread farther apart, such as in Cahaba River Estates, Blackridge or parts of Riverchase, Martin said. 

There is a question of whether that is a wise use of resources, he said.

Wood said he also doesn’t think smaller neighborhoods always need sidewalks. And a sidewalk also may not be needed in cases where there is a cul-de-sac with three or four houses on a street, he said.

“There’s not enough people to even walk on them,” he said. “It’s an overkill, in my opinion.”

Slopes also are a big issue, Wood said. If a house has a driveway going significantly up or down from the street, adding a level sidewalk that is compliant with Americans with Disabilities standards can cause complications and lead to cars bottoming out as they enter or leave the driveway, he said.

Adding sidewalks in subdivisions with trees along the street also can cause problems, Wood said. As the trees grow, their root systems often break up the sidewalks, he said.

Martin said city officials have discussed increasing the minimum width of sidewalks from 4 feet to 5 feet, but that provision was left out of the proposal that came forward in November. 

The problem is that when you have people walking side by side or people pushing a stroller or walking a dog, “4 feet is not a lot of real estate,” Martin said.

Wood said he doesn’t think wider sidewalks are necessary, especially if sidewalks are on going to be on both sides of the street.

The Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission’s Jan. 8 meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in the William J. Billingsley Council Chambers at the Hoover Municipal Center. The commission usually meets in a work session in a small conference room behind the council chambers at 5 p.m. Both meetings are open to the public, but seating is very limited in the conference room.