By Chris Yow
Editor
TRUSSVILLE — The Trussville City Council took the first step in preserving the historic homes in the Cahaba Homestead Project area in Trussville on Tuesday night. A unanimous vote passed a resolution to place a moratorium on all external demolition of any home defined as being inside the project area.
The council hopes to come up with a plan to created ordinances that allow home renovations and additions while maintaining the architectural integrity of the historic homes.
The home seen here was in the Cahaba Project. The home was demolished in February.
Earlier this month, one of the historic homes was demolished causing many residents of the project area to voice their concern. This moratorium will not allow any demolition of external walls — with the exception of certain hardships to be brought before the council — for 90 days. The moratorium can be extended for two additional 90 day periods if needed. The council indicated, however, it would not likely need any longer period of time.
The historic area is believed to be the largest intact Works Project Administration development in the United States which was built by the FDR administration in the 1930’s. The WPA was created to build the country’s infrastructure and to employ Americans without jobs during the Great Depression.
Council President Brian Plant, also a homeowner in the Cahaba Homestead Project, said he felt the council would quickly resolve a way to protect these homes and the historical nature of the area.
One suggestion from Councilman Jef Freeman was to appoint a subcommittee to the city’s Design Review board made up exclusively of Cahaba Homestead Project homeowners.
Several members of the audience spoke in favor of guidelines to protect the homes, and all were in favor of some form of a moratorium until the council could come up with a more permanent solution.
23 Comments
Cyril A LaGroue III
Get the this right and don’t ruin our neighborhood!
Donna Fields
So with all the wording of the Council, are they for destroying Historic buildings.
#lessgovernment
Faith Brewster Summers
Why do they want this gone? For a big box store?
Ian Maddox
No one wanted it gone other than the folks who bought the lot. The new owner has been approved to build a nearly 6000 square foot English Tudor style home in the Cahaba Project.
Faith Brewster Summers
Move the house
Shone Foley Waite
The article clearly states that they are for preservation of the area.
Charles Bush
If I buy a certain house in Trussville, and dont like the small, closed in floor plan, I wont be able to remodel it and modernize MY property? I guess I would just look elsewhere. But to the people that already own those houses, I would hope they could improve and update their property if they wanted or needed to.
Ginny T Kerns
My previous comment was removed from the page last night. Huh?
If homeowner did the demolish on purpose then they need to be fined. If the contractor did it then they need to fined heavily. Even transplants know how historic the Project Homes are for Trussville. Looks like original plan was to include the house. So, what happened? Is the city going to allow a brand new build in this “Historic Area”? If they wanted a new build, then why didn’t they use their plans in Stockton?
The Trussville Tribune
This only includes demolition of exterior walls of the home. It’s also only for 90 days.
Ginny T Kerns
Trussville allows renovations of the project homes. (Take a look at the Cathedral on Lake Street.) Not completely demolished. Even in other parts of Birmingham, a wall or original foundation is included in renovation. The original one story project homes are about 800 square feet without any additions. Tiny.
Charles Bush
Thanks, but I read the artlicle. To add an addition, like a bedroom or bathroom onto a house, sometimes you have to remove part/all of an exterior wall. My default position will always be for freedom and limited government. Just my opinion.
Ian Maddox
Charles Bush I attended the council meeting and while the moratorium was set at 90 days the intention is to have the issue resolved within the month. I live in a Project home and also appreciate your comment about limited government and freedom. With that said, The Cahaba Project is actually an historic site, registered federally. For this reason alone, regardless of someones opinion about what looks good or doesn’t, the neighborhood needs to be protected. The Cahaba Project is one of very few Great Depression era public housing projects and perhaps the only one left in its entirety in the United States. The purpose of the moratorium is not to permanently ban people from expanding or enhancing their home but to allow the council time to create a clearer set of criteria and/or covenants around what can/cannot be done to a Cahaba Project home. As a resident of the “Project” I hope the council creates rules that protects the historical aesthetic of the neighborhood. For example, I love driving through Homewoods “Edgewood” neighborhood but would never want the Project to turn into that. Edgewood certainly has “character” but the historical element is mostly gone.
Charles Bush
Ian Maddox, everything you just wrote speaks of more government involvement. You live in that neighborhood, I do not. Actually, I don’t think the floor plans in those houses would meet my living requirements. I don’t really see why outdated depression-era housing needs to be protected. I think it needs to be updated but to each his own, that’s what I’m talking about, freedom and limited government intervention.
Kay Fochtmann Mickel
He tore the original house down but according to something I read they thought the original house would remain intact so they allowed it.
Sharon Glenn Orr
I rode by there today. A real estate agent was putting up a for sale sign.
Carrie Anne Chapman Willingham
Ian Maddox – That is misleading. The owners are honest, ethical people who did NOT try to cheat the system or pull the wool over anyone’s eyes. The original intent was not to buy it to tear it down.
Ian Maddox
Carrie Anne Chapman Willingham I’m sorry if you misunderstood my post and perhaps I should delete it. It was in response to the post just above mine not a criticism of the home owner whom I do not know.
Joe Domnanovich
Private Property.
Sharon Mcclung Bahm
Ian Maddox
Charles Bush are there not things from your past that you value? Stories your parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents told you? Do family heirlooms exist that bring back memories? Do we not have historic sites all over the country that we protect for the value of the era, history, people and stories they represent? The Great Depression is a seminal moment in our nations history and the public works that stemmed from it were unprecedented (whether the policy was right or wrong is a separate conversation). Trussville owns a piece of that history and it is becoming rarer by the day. It won’t be long before the last people with memory of the Depression are gone. To me (and I admit my bias as a resident) protecting the historical aesthetic is profoundly unique to the city. Now, does that mean I don’t want people to expand, enhance, improve? Certainly not. It just means I believe there are period architectural elements, rooflines, materials, etc. that are distinct and should be maintained. I am sure I have neighbors that would disagree and some that don’t care. I also know that I have neighbors that do. All said, I do understand and appreciate your comment.
Charles Bush
To each their own Ian.
Ian Maddox
Charles Bush we agree! 😉
Gill Williamson
One day after this story came out, a for sale sign went up. That lot really meant a lot to those people. They came in, destroyed a 70-80 year old house, then left.