By Crystal McGough, Associate Editor
TRUSSVILLE – The Trussville City Council held its second March meeting on Thursday, March 23, 2023, due to the Spring Break holiday being in effect on their regular meeting day, March 28.
Reed Bales speaks to the Trussville City Council regarding a proposed ordinance that would affect short-term rental properties. (Photo by Crystal McGough)
During the meeting, the council unanimously approved proclamations declaring the following upcoming events as citywide events:
- Leland Dockery Tribute Drive-In Car Show (June 3, 2023)
- Trussville Freedom Celebration (July 4, 2023)
- Foundation for Hope 5K Run (Oct. 7, 2023)
- Friends of the Library 5K Run (Oct. 14, 2023)
The city then held a public hearing on a proposed City Zoning ordinance that would affect short-term rental properties.
New Trussville residents Reed and Stephanie Bales were in attendance to speak during the hearing.
“We have recently also purchased an additional home that we could use for an investment property,” Reed Bales said. “Obviously, part of getting any new place is finding a way to meet some financial obligations. … We received some notices that we can’t operate a short-term rental property.
“In the process of looking for this property, we did actually a lot of due diligence and we felt like we searched pretty earnestly to find any language prohibiting short-term rentals in Trussville. We were completely unsuccessful, we felt, in finding language that prohibited that. … What we have been directed to is the zoning … that one of the allowed uses is as a single-family residence and, I guess in our minds, it’s still being used as a single-family residence for those folks who come to stay. We’ve had folks come for lots of different reasons: getting procedures done at UAB or coming for ball tournaments or whatever; church camps.
“So, our challenge is that we feel like we’ve laid a pretty significant investment for this to be something for our family to be able to be able to meet our finances. We’re not a big company gobbling up thousands of homes and trying to make a massive business out of this.”
Furthermore, Bales requested that the council consider grandfathering in pre-existing short-term rental properties if they choose to approve the ordinance at their next meeting.
Another resident, David Stovall, also spoke during the hearing. Stovall said he works in civil engineering and land surveying, but also does real estate development part-time, though he said he has no current projects in Trussville. Stovall said his main concern regarded language in the ordinance that would change RG (Garden Home Residential District) zoning from a 50-foot to a 75-foot minimum width.
“Obviously I disagree that that is even a fruitful thing to do, much less the right thing to do,” Stovall said.
The ordinance was presented as a first reading and will remain on the table for 30 days before coming back to the council for a vote.
The council also held a public hearing on a prospective lounge retail alcohol license for Corbeau Wine Bar, and subsequently passed Resolution 2023-15, approving the alcohol license for Corbeau Wine Bar.
In other business, the council passed the following:
- Resolution 2023-16, approving fire hydrant installation at 5540 Trussville Clay Road
- Resolution 2023-17, regarding the use of tax-exempt general obligation warrants to reimburse City General Fund for the acquisition of Glendale Farms
- Resolution 2023-18, approving an Animal Control Contract with Greater Birmingham Humane Society
- Resolution 2023-19, approving a Public Works truck purchase
- Ordinance 2023-003, amending the city’s false alarm ordinance
Under Consent Agenda, the council accepted the resignation of Senior Center Advisory Board member Joyce M. Goodwin, effective April 14, and reappointed Eric Frederick to the Cemetery Rehabilitation Authority.
The Trussville City Council regularly meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at the City Hall Annex, beginning at 6 p.m.
