The Hoover City Council voted down a request Monday night to de-annex a 7-acre property that a church planned to use for a new school.
Forty-five students were set to attend Trinity Classical Academy this week, the K-8 school started by Trinity Presbyterian Church, which would have been hosted at the church’s property at 7160 Cahaba Valley Road. When the school and church reached out to the city about a traffic light near the property, the city learned the church intended to start a school. That isn’t allowable under current zoning.
In an effort to clear up the issue by the start of school, the school submitted a request to de-annex the property, making it part of unincorporated Shelby County. According to the church’s lawyer, Jonathan Griffith, if the property were de-annexed, Shelby County would allow the school to move forward while pursuing proper permits. The Hoover City Council cannot grant conditional use permits to the school.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, Bobbie Breeding, who identified herself as a John Carroll Catholic High School alumna and supporter of private schools, said that the process was being rushed.
“ I feel like it's Sunday night at 9:00, and my son's saying, ‘Oh, I've got a project due, and I need a piece of poster board.’ That's what this feels like to me,” Breeding said. “It feels like it's being pushed through too rapidly, that we've not had the time to give it the consideration that it's due.”
Breeding went on to say that the city and its residents did not have the opportunity to consider traffic, what could happen to the property down the road and why the city of Hoover should give up the land.
Another speaker said he didn’t understand why there couldn’t be a “win-win” solution, where the school could continue, and Hoover could keep the land. City Council President Casey Middlebrooks said the city has no process that would allow the school to open on time.
“Our conditional use process, probably the earliest we can hear that, October, I would say. That speaks to the inefficiency of the process a little bit, but also to the due diligence of the process,” Middlebrooks said.
KT Thomas said she had sympathy for everyone involved.
“It seems like what we’re doing by de-annexing something is a permanent solution to a temporary problem, and it seems like we might try to find a more temporary solution to a temporary problem,” she said.
The council conferred with city attorney Charlie Waldrep and city planner Mac Martin Jr. on ways to allow the school to move forward through existing legal and legislative channels, but none were sufficient.
Councilwoman Ashley Lovell shared concerns that by avoiding the established processes, residents would not have the opportunity to weigh in on what would be happening in their city.
Lovell also asked about CHOOSE Act funds, taxpayer dollars that go to families for private school or homeschooling costs, that have been allocated to enrolled families and what would happen if the school couldn’t achieve its aims by being de-annexed into unincorporated Shelby County.
“Does it concern you that you guys would invest time, energy to also distribute CHOOSE Act funds to a situation where it’s temporary conditional use? So there is a likelihood that you guys would not receive approval?” she asked. “Or is it just an assumption that you guys are going to get it?”
Griffith said there were no assumptions.
“It concerns us greatly. We’ve already received funds. We’ve already hired teachers. We’ve already enrolled students. So it’s an extreme concern. Frankly, CHOOSE Act, that’s a big deal, but I have a lot more loyalty and concern for our parents and our students.” Griffith said.
Councilman Derrick Murphy expressed discomfort with the lack of information that would have been provided by city planning studies. He listed questions about traffic and finances.
“Those things, I just don’t know. I’m in a tough spot a little bit.” Murphy said.
Councilman Gene Smith expressed his frustration at church and school leaders toward the end of the discussion.
“Somebody dropped the ball on finding out what the requirements were gonna be, and that is what has caused us to be where we are today, and y'all have basically dumped that in our lap,” Smith said. “Y'all's mistake has dumped this in our lap and have put us in a very serious situation.”
The city council voted 5-1 against de-annexing the school, keeping the church and its property within Hoover city limits.
This conflict over Trinity Classical Academy echoes another case, which involved a Muslim school that wanted to relocate to Hoover. In December, Hoover city leaders denied a zoning change that would have allowed the Islamic Academy of Alabama to move from Homewood to Hoover and into a bigger space to accommodate its growing student body. The Hoover Zoning and Planning Commission unanimously denied that request. That’s two religious schools in less than a year unable to overcome zoning hurdles in Hoover.
