Birmingham · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Birmingham public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Rezoning for Redeemer Community Church campus
A public hearing is being set for November 24 on rezoning 800 Montclair Road from QMU-H to QC-2 to allow a new church campus.
Pratt-Ensley Framework Plan rezoning
The Council would set an October 20 hearing to rezone properties across the Crestline, Crestwood, and Red Mountain communities under the Southern Area Framework Plan.
Zoning amendment on Affordable Housing Density Bonus
The council was set to schedule an October 20 public hearing on a zoning text amendment that would remove D-5 districts from the Affordable Housing Density Bonus — a change affecting all property in Birmingham.
Boys & Girls Club rezoning at 1259 Huffman Road
The Council was scheduled to set an October 13, 2026, public hearing on rezoning 1259 Huffman Road from single-family residential to neighborhood commercial to allow a new Boys & Girls Club of Central Alabama facility.
Two rezonings on second reading
One rezoning would legalize a duplex conversion in a single-family area at 5900 Avenue M; the other would allow a mixed residential-and-hotel building at 1240 22nd Street South. Neighbors of both sites could weigh in at public hearings.
Proposed rezoning at 1240 22nd Street South
A proposed rezoning to MU-M would allow a mixed residential and hotel building at 1240 22nd Street South.
5900 Avenue M rezoning (ZAC2026-08003)
RRR Investment Group wants to rezone land at 5900 Avenue M from single-family to qualified medium-density residential. The public hearing is August 25 — residents can weigh in then.
Planning commission appointments
Three new Birmingham Planning Commission members and one Regional Planning Commission board member were appointed, shaping who reviews zoning and development cases.
Sayreton Drive rezone for convenience store with drive-through
A proposed rezoning would let the owner build a convenience store with a drive-through at 101 Sayreton Drive North.
Citywide zoning ordinance text amendment
The Planning Department's cleanup-style amendment to the zoning ordinance's general provisions was up for final council action after a planning recommendation.
Rezoning of 3849 Clairmont Avenue for boutique antique store
Jeff & Amy Smith want to rezone 3849 Clairmont Avenue from R-6 to mixed-use low to open a boutique antique store. The Zoning Advisory Committee didn't recommend it, but the Council set a June 2 public hearing so residents can weigh in.
Zoning Ordinance amendment (Case ZAC2026-00001)
A proposed update to the zoning ordinance's general provisions was set for second reading and public hearing but got pushed to May 12. Anyone with comments on the rewrite will have to wait two more weeks.
Eastern Framework Plan zoning overhaul
The Council adopted a new zoning map for the entire Eastern Framework Plan area — Airport Hills, East Birmingham, East Lake and Woodlawn. This determines what kind of development can happen in those neighborhoods for years to come.
BJCTA compressed natural gas fueling site rezoning
The bus authority needs a natural gas fueling station for its fleet, and that required rezoning land on Forestdale Boulevard from commercial to light manufacturing. The council approved it, moving the transit agency closer to cleaner-fuel operations.
Northside-Southside zoning map amendment
A second-reading ordinance would redraw zoning district boundaries for every property in the Northside and Southside Framework Plan areas — one of the most sweeping map changes in years. It shapes what can be built in those downtown-adjacent neighborhoods.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car on Gadsden Highway
A rezoning from mixed-use medium to qualified general commercial would let Enterprise Rent-A-Car operate at 220 & 236 Gadsden Highway in the Roebuck area.
Motorcycle training facility zoning
A second-reading ordinance would strip Q-Conditions from a past rezoning so a motorcycle training facility can open near 31st/32nd Avenues North. Neighbors had a chance to be heard at the public hearing stage.