Lane Parke, Culver Road Parking Discussed By Council

MOUNTAIN BROOK, AL - The transition between old and new in Mountain Brook Village in the last several years has hinged largely on the Lane Parke development, which has put the village through a face lift, to say the least. With the new hotel, new restaurants and new retail has also come parking issues brought on by construction of the next phase of the project. The Mountain Brook City Council looked into analysis of the parking situation along Culver Road near the Lane Park development in a meeting this week.

A report by Village Living said after the council approved an ordinance during the Aug. 27 meetingthat created 15-minute parking spaces at the new Regions Bank location, additional neighboring businesses near Sneaky Pete’s asked if the construction fence needed to be placed all the way to the curb of the street, as it is now, and if the city could designate another short-term parking place in front of their businesses.

Hunter Simmons, GIS manager with Planning, Zoning and Sustainability recommended against both moving the fence and providing another space for short-term parking, saying the fence provides a barrier for construction and is not feasible to move it continually throughout construction. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Patch morning newsletter.)

Simmons added that currently, another 15-minute parking spot would benefit some, but not all businesses, particularly Icehouse BBQ which is a sit-down family restaurant. Simmons said the owners expressed concern that parking with a designated time frame would not give diners enough time for their meal.

Simmons suggested the city monitor the situation and make a change in the future if one is needed, to which the council agreed.

Photo by Michael Seale/Patch