22 minute read
Owners appeal rejection of plans to restore the historic property
from 7.29.21
Pink House Proposal
Owners Appeal Rejection of Plans to Restore the Historic Property
By Emily Williams-RoBERtshaW
When the owners of Homewood’s historic Pink House, Clayton and Rachel Mobley, presented a proposal to rehab and build on the property to the Homewood Board of Zoning Adjustments on June 3, many community supporters were surprised to see it rejected.
The board denied two requests the Mobley’s needed to move to the next step: a height variance and a pool variance.
Since the meeting, the property owners have advanced to one of only a few next steps. The couple has, in essence, filed a lawsuit against the city of Homewood.
An official statement from the owners reads, “While the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) may still, on its own initiative, make a motion at the next meeting to reconsider our variance requests, after consultation with the City of Homewood and our legal counsel, the most realistic next step available to us is to file an appeal to Circuit Court.”
Proposal to Extend House and Add Pool
The proposal was created to make the property viable as a single-family residence, given the state of the existing construction. It pulls architectural inspiration from the original house and gardens and uses the landscape to maintain the original house as the focal point of the property.
The plan includes the addition of a patio extending from the left of the original house and leading to a pool area.
Behind the pool would be an addition that would both expand the home’s footprint while providing modern comforts, including central heating and air.
“The building materials used back in 1921 were nonconventional to say the least, so many parts of the structure are extremely fragile,” Clayton Mobley said.
The additional living space would support the needs of a modern, singlefamily living space while maintaining the original structure’s existing floorplan.
He noted that, if the work were approved and began tomorrow, it would take about a year and half to restore the property and construct the addition.
“However, because the BZA did not approve our variance requests, we don’t know how long it will be before we will be able to get a building permit,” he said. “Unfortunately, the appeal process could take a very long time.”
Twisted Road to Restoration
The Pink House restoration is a story of trial and error.
It was built in 1921 by Georges and Eleanor Bridges, socialites and artists who hosted salons and frequently entertained nationally recognized artists.
Shortly after the death of Eleanor Bridges, the house was purchased by Eric and Diana Hansen in 1988, and they in turn sold it to developer Pat O’Sullivan in 2004.
It wasn’t until 2018 that Sullivan began working with the Homewood Planning Commission to subdivide the property into six lots.
Concerned members of the community spent more than a year raising funds and awareness in an attempt to save the property, and in the 11th hour, Holly Ellis and her family bought the lot from Sullivan with the idea of restoring it.
The Mobleys quietly purchased the property in 2020, while Rachel Mobley was pregnant with their first child, also in the hopes of seeing it restored.
When asked what made them feel confident enough to take on the project, Clayton Mobley noted that confident might not be the right word.
“Naive, maybe?” he said. “All jokes aside, we fell in love with the property and the future we envisioned for our family there. We knew that vision would be worth all the hard work ahead.”
Nevertheless, owning the piece of local history has been rewarding for the pair. Artifacts recounting the story of the home’s past have been passed down from owner to owner.
“We especially love reading Eleanor’s personal diary,” Mobley said. “She was hilarious. It’s been fun to share the property’s stories with the rest of Homewood because the community has shown such wonderful interest and support.”
While they continue to find enjoyment in the property despite the downfalls, the couple has hope their vision will come to fruition.
“We know the property is unique for so many reasons,” Mobley said. “Variances exist because there are unique situations that are worthy of making an exception.
“We really feel that persevering to circuit court where we can present our request to a higher legal authority will go well because our plans for the property really do just make sense.”
For Homewood residents who want to show support, the Mobleys ask that they contact city officials.
“The best thing we can encourage folks to do is contact their city leaders to let them know that Homewood citizens want their elected city officials to take action and find the swiftest path to resolution,” Mobley said.
Links to contact city officials are provided on the couple’s website, pinkhouseplans.com.
The site offers detailed descriptions and images of the plans, as well as some fun facts about the home’s history.
Photos courtesy Clayton Mobley
Clayton and Rachel Mobley quietly purchased the Pink House property in 2020, while Rachel was pregnant with their first child.
The couples restoration plans include the addition of a patio extending from the left of the original house and leading to a pool area.
Disability Rights Advocate John Kemp Named Lakeshore Foundation CEO
The Lakeshore Foundation board of directors has announced the appointment of John D. Kemp as president and chief executive officer effective Nov. 1.
Kemp succeeds Jeff Underwood, who last year announced plans to retire this fall.
An internationally recognized disability rights advocate and executive, Kemp now is president and CEO of the Viscardi Center and Henry Viscardi School in Long Island, New York. The Viscardi Center is a network of nonprofits dedicated to educating, employing and empowering people with disabilities.
According to a release, Kemp has decades of experience in the disability movement as a disabled leader and is a co-founder of the American Association of People with Disabilities.
Kemp’s previous leadership roles include national executive director of United Cerebral Palsy Associations, president and CEO of VSA Arts and VSA Arts International and general counsel and vice president of development for the National Easter Seals Society, among others.
He is a recipient of the Henry B. Betts Award, regarded as America’s highest honor for disability leadership and service; and the Dole Leadership Prize from the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas, whose recipients include Nelson Mandela and former U.S. Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
“John will be only the second CEO in Lakeshore’s 30-year history,” said board Chair Mark McColl. “It is important to our board that the new CEO be able to build on our strong foundation and continue to expand our mission to provide opportunities for individuals with physical disabilities to lead active, healthy lives. With his wealth of experience as a national leader and passion for our mission, John is a great fit for Lakeshore.”
Kemp has supported numerous leading disability and nonprofit organizations as board chairman, board member or partner. In 2001, he became a partner in the Washington, D.C., law firm of Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville, P.C., where he developed an active federal legislative and lobbying practice. A sought-after global speaker, Kemp in 2019 spoke at the inaugural Symposium on Disability Rights, cosponsored by Lakeshore and the UAB Institute for Human Rights. He is a graduate of Georgetown University and Washburn University School of Law.
He and his wife, Sameta, will relocate to Birmingham later this year.
John D. Kemp
Chick-fil-A Brookwood Village Mall, above, opened on Aug. 6, 1974.
By Emily Williams
Alabama’s First Chick-fil-A to Relocate to Cahaba Heights After Nearly 47 Years at Brookwood Village
For more than four decades, Chick-fil-A Brookwood Village Mall has celebrated its birthday in August.
But not this year. Franchise owner Jerry Cotney announced on Instagram last week that the location will be shutting down July 31, just days before its 47th anniversary.
“We’re going to be closing in about two weeks, and that’s after four-and-a-half decades of serving this community,” Cotney said.
The restaurant welcomed its customers on Aug. 6, 1974.
In a 2018 birthday post on Facebook, location officials noted that its first customers paid less than $1 for a sandwich.
It was the first Alabama location of Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy’s Georgia-founded chicken sandwich chain.
Original franchise owner Morris Jackson and his son Rodney Jackson led the Brookwood location for more than 40 years before passing the torch to Cotney, a native of Roanoke and graduate of Birmingham-Southern College.
“It’s been a good run,” Cotney said. “This mall was a thriving place, as many of you remember.”
Brookwood Village, which first opened in 1974, was experiencing a noticeable decline even before the pandemic because of the toll the rise of e-commerce had on brick-and-mortar retail outfits.
In 2020, it had a major exodus as restaurants – including Jason’s Deli, Brio Tuscan Grille and Cocina Superior Grille – as well as Books-AMillion closed.
In October, Colliers International of Alabama and Arlington Properties announced plans to turn the property into a mixed-use development featuring retail and dining space as well as high-end apartments. They went so far as to host public meetings to present their plan to the community.
According to a recent article in the Birmingham Business Journal, the company has since backed out of the deal, and Birmingham-based Fairway Investments has had the property under contract for about three months. According to the article, Fairway–Brookwood LLC was formed April 16 and is registered to Birminghambased Thompson Development Co. Inc.
In Cotney’s announcement, he said a recent change in ownership of the mall led to the decision to close Chick-fil-A, although he also said the change of ownership is unofficial.
Cotney said the location’s survival has been “no short of a miracle.”
“After being closed last year for five weeks, I really thought we were done,” he said.
Once the mall reopened, business returned and Cotney said it returned
to pre-COVID revenue despite the lack of stores in the mall. “We’re going to look forward to serving you again – not at this location, which is closing at the end of July – but at Cahaba Heights, which is scheduled to open in October,” he said. The new Chick-fil-A Cahaba Heights will be on Crosshaven Drive between Zaxby’s Chicken Fingers & Buffalo Wings and Milo’s Hamburgers.
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For every transported dog, there is room for another one to be rescued.
“Our annual intake averages at around 10,000+,” Tillis said. “Realistically, there are only so many homes available in our area.”
Typical long-distance destinations are to shelter and rescue partners in Wisconsin, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Illinois, Washington, D.C., and New York. Closer destinations include neighboring states such as Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee.
Many of the longer trips leave at about 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., so it’s a task that could be fit in after a workday.
“We have trips that leave on pretty much any day of the week, so there should be plenty available no matter what schedule needs our drivers have,” Tillis said. “We also cover hotel rooms, a meal and transportation costs.”
According to Tillis, the long-haul trips are a bit more difficult to recruit volunteers for, but those are the trips that are most vital for the animals.
Filling the Volunteerism Gap
Having retired in 2007, Mike Wade was looking for something to fill his time and began volunteering with the GBHS in 2013.
“I have always been a dog lover, so this was natural,” he said.
It wasn’t until about three years ago that he was introduced to and began participating in the transport program.
Bob Stafford began participating in transports in 2015, sparked by a help wanted ad in a local newspaper. He enjoys driving and the cause was important to him.
His first trips were to Washington, D.C. Now he travels to shelters in Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Wisconsin and Illinois.
“When we go on a transport, most of them will start out in the evening,” Stafford said. “They load at approximately 4 p.m., then we take off at 5 p.m. and most trips take about 12 hours.”
Wade noted that the transports mostly carry dogs, but occasionally cats are carried, as well.
“Other than listening to the dogs, which usually settle down after a short distance, we have no interaction with them until we arrive at the destination,” Wade said.
The typically two-person team will check on the animals when they stop for gas, but for safety reasons the animals stay in their crates.
As they drive through the night, most of the dogs sleep.
“Typically, we drive 800 miles, sharing 400 miles each,” Stafford said. “After that, we rest at a hotel and have dinner, which is covered by GBHS, and then come home the following day.”
Sometimes the drivers will switch off after each stop for gas, Wade said, it just depends on their preference.
Stafford notes that there are occasions when the animals are a little nervous when they arrive at an unfamiliar location.
“We stop and pet them, give them hugs and then they are ready to leave us and go into the shelter,” he said.
Wade and Stafford have taken many ordinary trips, but there are some memorable experiences that stick out.
Journal photos by Jordan Wald
Helping Animals Displaced by Disasters
The GBHS is quick to take on pets that are displaced due to natural disasters. There are plenty of those, with hurricanes and tornadoes in abundance in the South. The only caveat is that GBHS has to make room for the newcomers.
Following the tornado outbreak on March 25, the GBHS offered free boarding for the pets of homeowners whose houses were damaged.
Stafford, Wade and Animal Control Field Services Supervisor Chris Angst each manned vans to deliver about 80 to 90 animals to five different shelters in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Two vans were filled with dogs and one was filled with cats, which is a rarity, according to Wade, because cats typically do not travel well.
“That was hard, because we had no relief driver,” Stafford said.
The trip was the longest transport Wade has participated in, the farthest location being Elmsford, New York. “It is about a 15½-hour drive,” he said. “That is just drive time. It does not include time for stops, etc.”
In 2018, Stafford was on one of two transports sent to Jacksonville, Florida, to pick up at-risk animals ahead of Hurricane Michael.
“When we got close, we were advised that the animals were safe,” Stafford said. “So, then we were told to go to Ft. Walton Beach to a small shelter. This was now 2 a.m. We got as many pets as we could hold, about 50.
As they headed back to Birmingham, they got caught in some of the outer bands of the storm but were able to get all the pets to the GBHS safe and sound. That trip started at 2 p.m. one day and ended at 11 a.m. the following.
RUFF ROAD TRIP
From Page One
GBHS volunteers with puppies headed for Wisconsin, clockwise from left, Dalton Noble, Elisia Tillis and Patrick Burleson.
Alleviating a Southern Problem
The GBHS fronts all of the costs for these trips.
“We fully vet the animals, spay and neuter, everything,” Mays said. “We don’t get any of that money back, but, for us, there is no other option. We don’t have enough space for the amount of animals we have coming in.”
Transports help free up space, but they also ensure that the animals being transported will be adopted.
“Our Northern partners are located in areas where there are more open homes than animals,” Tillis said. “This is due to stricter regulations surrounding spaying and neutering. Partnering with these organizations is mutually beneficial for both the sending and receiving end because it helps more animals to be placed.”
The transport program is one that opens the eyes to a distinctive issue that plagues the South.
“We have a huge overpopulation issue here,” Mays said.
Most Northern states have legislation in place to control animal populations, most notably offering incentives for spay and neutering. There is also a cultural difference in how pets are viewed within the household.
“We only have a handful of areas who have laws against tethering,” Stafford noted. “We also have areas where people allow their pets to run the roads, free to get injured or killed. They are left out in the heat and cold with very little, if any, food, water or shelter. We also have hoarding situations, and dog fighting, which is one of the worst things of all.”
While many people treat their pets as members of the family, there is a lack of legislation to deter those who do view their animals more as pieces of property.
“A lot of areas still tend to use big, scary dogs as security,” Mays said. “It’s a very cheap alarm system, putting a big dog on your porch or chaining it to a tree out front.”
Transport Drivers Needed
“Right now, we are struggling,” Mays said. “We are absolutely at capacity. We are no longer taking owner surrenders because we literally have no room for them. We need fosters horribly. We need transport drivers terribly.”
While the GBHS is operating at capacity with adoptable animals, there are shelters in Northern states that have waitlists for families looking to adopt a pet.
Some of these shelters are dependent on the Southern strays transported by the GBHS.
“Most people up there are dying to have an animal,” Mays said. “They are paying upwards of $300 to adopt them. Our adult animals are $50 here. You can get a dog pretty much for free anytime and it’s a great one.”
Adoptable dogs at shelters aren’t just pit mixes, a common misconception, according to Mays. She has seen anything from Rhodesian ridgebacks and vislas to shih tzus and Yorkshire terriers, as well as numerous German shepherds and huskies.
Volunteering to drive transports is an easy process.
“All volunteers go through an orientation with our volunteer coordinator, Chivon,” Tillis said. “Our insurance does require a motor vehicle report be submitted, but it’s a quick and easy process.
“We also offer potential new drivers a chance to test out our larger sprinter vehicle to ensure they’re comfortable and confident before hitting the open road.”
It’s a great way to get involved if you want to volunteer but are unable to foster or want minimal contact with the animals.
“I can only speak for myself, but I do it to save the animals’ lives and get them into loving homes,” Wade said. “I always watch the destination shelters’ web pages to see the animals we have taken and see how fast they are adopted.”
The animals he has helped transport usually are adopted within 48 to 72 hours.
“If you want to talk about saving lives, you are driving about 40 souls up to another shelter so they survive,” Mays said.
Author Jane Newton Falany of Vestavia Hills was recognized as a nominee for the 2021 Communicator of Achievement Award from the National Federation of Press Women.
Falany was one of 10 nominees recognized during a celebration held during the organization’s annual conference, which was held virtually June 10-12 and hosted by Arkansas Press Women.
Now in its 84th year, NFPW is a nationwide organization of professional women and men pursuing careers across the spectrum of journalism and communications.
The Communicator of Achievement award has been presented for 64 years and is the highest honor bestowed by NFPW. The final recipient, chosen from nominees selected by state affiliates across the country, is recognized for exceptional achievement in the communications field, as well as service to NFPW, the affiliate organization and the community.
Falany is a writer, historian, book author, public relations specialist and leader in both Alabama Media Professionals and the National Federation of Press Women. She has written for newspapers and has taught journalism and public relations at the college level.
She is a founding member of the Alabama Women’s Initiative and edits the publication “The Status of Women in Leadership in Alabama.” Her blog, MS with a Southern accent, records the triumphs and difficulties of her 30-year battle with multiple sclerosis.
Majoring in piano in college, Falany has made beautiful music throughout her career, whether playing the keyboard, portraying a founding member in a historical play at an NFPW Conference or speaking at a high-school scholastic press meeting. Jane Newton Falany
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The event, benefiting the Birmingham Urban Mountain Pedalers, featured five route options, from a less-than-five-mile family ride to a 65-mile course.
After participants crossed the finish line, a cookout was hosted at the Homewood location of Cahaba Cycles, featuring Good People Brewing Company beer, barbecue and live music. Please make sure all information is correct, including address and phone number! Please initial and fax back within 24 hours.
If we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the Friday before the press date, your ad will run as is. We print the paper Monday. If we have not heard from you by 5 pm of the friday before the press date, your ad will run as is. Thank you for your prompt attention. Thank you for your prompt attention.
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