A lot has happened since I last reported in April on the proposed redevelopment of the Kerbela Shriners Temple site. Whether enough has happened is another question—one that will be answered this afternoon when the developer returns to Planning Commission with a revised proposal after being sent back to the drawing board last month.
As a refresher, Birmingham-based CR Endeavors (CRE) is proposing a 200+ unit apartment community aimed primarily at active adults 55 and older on the 5.72-acre property overlooking the south landing of the Gay Street Bridge. The site falls within the South Waterfront district (SW-6 and SW-5), which is governed by a form-based code developed almost 20 years ago through an intensive community input and planning process.
Because portions of the proposal do not comply with that code, CRE is seeking a Level 3: Alternative Compliance Review. Planning Commission’s task is not to determine whether the project perfectly follows the South Waterfront rules—it doesn’t—but whether the proposed deviations nevertheless satisfy the intent of the code and the broader South Waterfront Vision Plan…