Council approves vacation of right-of-way on Stratford Road to allow property consolidation

The Birmingham City Council on March 24 unanimously approved a resolution to vacate 35,493 square feet of public right-of-way adjacent to 2845 Stratford Road so the property owner may consolidate the parcel.

Roger Glowing, subdivision planner for the city's Department of Planning and Engineering, told the council the request is Subdivision case SUV25-97 and that the one‑third right‑of‑way vacation fee has been set at $136,932.51. He said the Birmingham Planning Commission and the Community Development Committee had forwarded favorable recommendations to the full council.

Wade Ward, technical adviser with Shoal Engineering, told councilors the technical purpose of the vacation is to add the right-of-way into an adjacent parcel on the north side of Simoleon Drive to enable consolidation. Owner Charles Philip McWane described the lots as vacant and said the consolidation is intended to help residents regain control of an area he said has been attractors for criminal activity: "For decades, a number of individuals that don't reside in the neighborhood have congregated on Stratford Road all hours of the night ... participating in unsavory acts, if not criminal," McWane said.

After brief questions from council members, the presiding officer called for a vote. The council voted in favor of the resolution and the president announced the item passed.

The resolution is second reading and carried the case number SUV25-97; the staff report and the council record identify the fee amount and that the item had prior committee approvals. The council did not record any conditions on the vacation in the public hearing.

Next steps: the council's announcement constituted final approval at this meeting; the clerk recorded the passage and the council moved on to the next agenda item.