By Erica Wright
The Birmingham Times
The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution opposing the relocation of a Sherman Industries concrete facility to Five Points West.
The resolution was passed, 9-0, during the Council’s first evening meeting of 2019.
“It is my firm belief that this will further impede the quality of life for residents in District 8,” said Councilor Steven Hoyt, who represents the district where the proposed facility would be located. “The residents in the Five Points West area need to be included in this project and deserve more transparency. So far that has not been the case.”
Sherman Industries, LLC has requested to place a concrete batch plant at 3420 Fayette Avenue in Five Points West. That will replace the existing facility on Second Avenue South, which has been in operation since the 1950s.
Dora Sims, President of the Five Points West Community, said residents want a chance to share concerns and get more details.
“Birmingham has one of the highest air pollution rates in the country. The A.G. Gaston Boys and Girls Club, the CrossPlex are located right there and we’re concerned about how this would affect the air quality in our community,” she said.
During the meeting, Mayor Randall Woodfin announced that the Jefferson County Department of Health (JCDH) will hold a public hearing regarding the permit application from Sherman Industries as a result of the neighborhood opposition. That JCDH public hearing will be held at the CrossPlex at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 6, 2019.
Vicky Moore, president of the Central Park Neighborhood Association, said she doesn’t want big companies to move into the community without input from residents.
“Give us the common courtesy and respect that you would give any other municipality,” she said. “Let us be able to make a conscious decision as to what we want in our community and what we do not want in our community.”
Councilor Wardine Alexander said she was disappointed by the lack of communication. “I found this out on Facebook . . . I know Birmingham was built as an industrial town, but companies that are interested in our neighborhoods need to [know] we want to live in residences like everyone else. We want our air quality to be safe and we don’t want those businesses . . . in areas that are residential.”
