The process is not as pretty as the trees and sidewalks on the drawing.
Updated Sept. 28, 2020
Since the 18th Street project first came up in 2015 to now, the city has gone back and forth with Rob’e Mans and other businesses about using the Right of Way and personal property for the project along 18th Street. In 2018, they told me they will need to (take/buy) 2-3 feet of my property, then reversed themselves six months later. Now they say I have to sell it or eminent domain can be used. In the past two years I’ve had more than 20 meetings with the mayor, councilmen, staff and developers and I still don’t know what they want. It’s always changing. Because of these consistent changes, I had to hire an attorney because the City of Homewood wasn’t willing to work in good faith to get this matter resolved.
Timeline:
Nov 2018 I attended a meeting at city hall with Scott Walton, Jarrod Lewis, Post Office Supervisor’s, DaVinci’s , Ed’s Pet World, and we were all shown a rendering of what 18th street would look like. Greg Cobb notified me that: “We are going to have to have 2-3 feet of your property” - I replied, ‘I do not have 2-3 feet of property to give’.
March 2019 Bruce Limbaugh invited me to an 8:30 meeting at City Hall. I attended this meeting where Greg Cobb, Keith Strickland GMC head of 18th street project, Katie Lewis-GMC, Jane Reed Ross, Britt Thames, Andy Gwaltney and others I did not know were all there to convince him how “good this plan was for him” after realizing we were not going to come into agreement I adjourned the meeting.
2019 Greg Cobb informed me that they did not need the 2-3 feet of my property and it was confirmed by a phone call with Britt Thames. However all the driveways accessing 18th street were eliminated on the design, which was objectionable then and now. On the 18th Street Plan, all driveways on the west side of 18th Street South will be closed which would include the Post Office, Ed’s Pet World, and Nadeau to provide parking for the hotel.
Doug Neil called on me to ask if I would move Rob’e Mans onto Central Avenue, on the Rosedale side between 26th and 27th Avenues, within the residential area of Rosedale. Neil cited a plan to “open up” Central Avenue and divert traffic from that area of 18th street. Neil directly cited rerouting and diverting downtown traffic down 26th Avenue into Rosedale to Central. Citing traffic would be diverted, Eddie told him to get it 100% approved, and I might consider it.
July 2019 Greg Cobb hand delivered the request to have a Temporary Construction Easement for the 18th Street Project. On these documents, there was no indication of taking 2-3 feet of my property. Greg Cobb even had scratched through the words Right-of-Way on the document and only was requesting a Temporary Construction Easement. As of today, this document hasn’t been signed.
April 2020 A letter from Tillman Consulting requesting a possible Acquisition of Property for road construction was received. Tentative meeting was delayed due to Covid 19.
July 20, 2020 Finance Committee discussed the need for additional funding for the 18th St Plan (watch/listen to meeting starting at minute 23:00). During the discussion, it was brought to light that the city had not fulfilled the ALDOT requirements of securing the required construction easements on the West Side of 18th St. A phone call during the meeting by Wyatt Pugh, head of Building, Engineering & Zoning, to Tillman Consulting, the consultant discussed with the group that the city would need more money for surveying, appraisals and negotiating, the cost for this service was over $16,000. The consultant also alluded to the negotiation strategy the city should use for each of the specific businesses.
August 2020 Tillman and an Appraiser evaluating the property informed me that they were planning on purchasing 2-3 ft of my property. The City had changed their mind about needing 2-3 feet of my property and that I could sell it to them or they possibly could use eminent domain.
September 2020 I have received two proposals thus far, each taking more land than the one before. The last proposal would take 4-5 feet of property plus a 10-foot temporary construction easement which will put construction almost on my door step and take away 24 off-street parking spaces during construction.
The 10-foot, temporary construction easement would take the current 28 off-street parking spaces down to 4 spaces and make it difficult in some and impossible in others, to maneuver cars in and out of the work bays. With 15-20 cars coming in for service daily, I am trying to figure out where we will park cars when not being in work-bays. After construction, the city believes that they can return 22 spaces on-property and 12 street parking spaces, but they did not take into account cars moving in and out of the bays, therefore, we will be left with approximately 13 parking spaces—10 of which will be used for employee parking. The on-street parking spaces will not be dedicated to Rob’e Mans, and as I understand were promised as part of the parking space requirement of the hotel development. The 4-5 feet the city wants to take will cut off my driveway access for tow trucks, tractor trailers, delivery vehicles and customers use now from 18th Street and leave Rob’e Mans difficult to access and therefore harm my business.
The 5 feet they want to take extends from Rob’e Mans to Nadeau, which is concerning to all the businesses on the West side. If you want to see for yourself, go by any of the businesses mentioned and look for a stake with an orange tie on top. My suggestion is to put parallel parking on the West side of 18th Street, there would be no need or additional expenses to purchase property to complete the project. There has been no indication that they are open to my suggestions. It appears the city is just going to try to take land and harm my business for 12 parking spaces meant for the development across the street and a median with trees.
On a personal note, I have trouble understanding how the city gives land away for parking and other amenities to the developer across the street and then takes land away from long standing businesses that furnish their own parking. Additionally, I have been told by multiple people in city hall, ‘We don’t give a damn how it affects Rob’e Mans; it’s going to happen.’ From their actions, proposals, and words, it is my conclusion that the city really wants Rob’e Mans, Post Office, Barber Shop, Ed’s Pet World and Nadeau gone!! They have plans that you will never see on paper and that are known to only to a few. They want to take the HOME out of HOMEWOOD.
Thank you for reading and for your patronage,
Eddie Cleveland
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