Zoning Proposal

A critical element in the Redevelopment District effort is rezoning a number of properties in South Woodlawn to facilitate proposed new affordable housing.

Much of the Woodlawn area had been speculatively zoned for high densities over 50 years ago when City officials believed Birmingham was about to experience a residential boom. Unfortunately, that residential boom did not come but several apartment buildings and complexes popped up in random locations amidst the otherwise charming historic single family neighborhoods of Woodlawn (and other similarly charming neighborhoods throughout Birmingham). This contributed in its own way to neighborhood decline and in reaction to this many years later, the City reversed the higher density zoning, blanketing most of Woodlawn with single-family zoning of one kind or another. Note, though that several islands of multifamily zoning remained and the apartments that had been built in them.

The zoning changes proposed as part of the Redevelopment Plan focus mostly on the area around the former Carver apartments, a property now owned by the City but proposed for redevelopment. This area is located in the South Woodlawn neighborhood. Much of this area is zoned as CR-4A, which allows single-family housing, duplexes, townhouses and 4-unit apartment buildings, or quadplexes. Within this district are remaining apartment buildings, vacant lots and a few single-family homes. The proposed zoning would place the next higher residential zoning classification (R-5) on several of these vacant properties to allow housing development compatible with the recent YWoodlawn housing development nearby. Other sites would also receive slightly higher density allowances but with the overall intent of preserving existing single-family homes while creating appropriate density transitions across the area. For example, multifamily would not face single-family homes or be located between single-family lots on the same block.

The proposed zoning changes also include placing the right zoning classification on apartment buildings the YWCA renovated recently. Because they have more than 4 units, they are considered "nonconforming" in the current CR-4A District.

We believe that the zoning proposal accompanying the redevelopment plan is appropriate to the area, is sensitive to existing single-family areas, and is the right fit to accommodate quality, affordable housing that is so needed in Woodlawn.

Review the zoning proposal here.