Hinton Lone Vote Against Contentious Northport Townhome Development

NORTHPORT, AL — After nearly two years of packed public meetings, angry residents and developers going back to the drawing board, a contentious townhome development off of Hunter Creek Road in Northport got the green light for a conditional use request Monday by way of a 4-1 City Council vote.

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While District 3 Councilman John Hinton, who represents residents in the vicinity of the proposed townhome development at 3205 Hunter Creek Road, made a motion Monday night to deny the request, the final push by those opposed ultimately failed to garner a second and subsequent Council vote.

Instead, Hinton was the lone vote against awarding the conditional use request, with the Council's approval effectively slamming the door on any opposition to the controversial development.

As Patch previously reported, the Northport Planning & Zoning Commission gave the project an unfavorable recommendation in January 2021 after receiving an outpour of opposition from residents of Brookside and Vestavia. This followed a similar decision in 2020 when the development was first proposed.

However, the request eventually made its way back before the commission this August and received approval to move to a full Council vote for the conditional use request.

Nibroc Development and Corbin Custom Homes crafted the proposed master plan that was previously voted down, which first called for 27 individual townhome units and a total of 60 bedrooms on the property. The incarnation of the project approved on Monday, however, is expected to consist of 22 units made up of 18 two-bedroom units and four three-bedroom units.

In addition to the residential offerings, the development would also include a gazebo/pavilion area, a walking trail and approximately 2.5 acres of open green space.

Hinton argued that the definition for conditional use centers primarily on "uniqueness," such that its effect on the surrounding environment can not be determined in advance of the use being proposed in a particular location.

"In other words, we don't know what effect it will have on the community," Hinton said. "My primary objection is density. This development is not appropriate for this area due to the large lot size throughout the adjoining neighborhoods. "

On the health and public welfare side of the debate, Hinton also said the development has the potential to unduly burden the city's existing sewer capacity in the area of Hunter Creek Road — an area that has seen two devastating floods in the last two years.

Hinton said the project, as approved, would have 48 bedrooms and toilet fixtures numbering between 30 t0 40, possibly more.

"All this waste enters the sewage lines in older subdivisions [in the vicinity of the development], creating serious concerns about sewage capacity in this area," he said. "All the problems some of the residents have experienced in the last few years, adding overflow of sewage in their homes would be disastrous."

Tuscaloosa attorney Jaime Conger is a resident of the Vestavia neighborhood and the appointed spokesperson for residents opposed to the townhome development. She expressed her disappointment in an interview with Patch, saying the proposed development does not match the character of the historic neighborhood.

"Vestavia has been a prominent neighborhood in Northport for decades," she explained. "They are all single-family brick homes for the most part. This piece of property is very small and a safety hazard. It runs adjacent to Hunter Creek Road, which already has traffic density issues and we're concerned about the safety of our residents."

Conger then spoke back to flooding over the last two years and how the decision of the Council to grant the request dealt yet another blow to residents along Hunter Creek Road who have already suffered more than their fair share.

"They've added six parking spots and moved the dumpster," Conger lamented of the changes made to the plans for the development before the final vote Monday. "In our opinion, there were no substantial changes from the last time the Zoning Board defeated the process."

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