An Atlanta-based developer is again trying to build a self-storage and office facility on Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard near Vulcan Park & Museum in Birmingham's Southside.

The Birmingham Zoning Board of Adjustments, though, denied Brooks Lumpkin's request Thursday afternoon for a modification to the B2 General Business District zoning to reduce the amount of off-street parking spaces from the required 49 to 14.

The board's denial effectively prohibits the developer from building a four-story, 102,908-square-foot self-storage facility at 1901 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. The proposed facility would contain 700 storage units and about 900 square feet of office space.

This site is only about 50 feet from the former McDonald's restaurant where Lumpkin previously wanted to build a self-storage facility. In July, the board denied Lumpkin a variance for shorter setbacks to build a five-story self-storage facility.

The current zoning of both properties on Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard allows for self-storage.

Lumpkin's modification request was effectively denied on Thursday due to a split vote from the four board members present. The board voted 2-2 on a motion to deny the request, and 2-2 on a motion to continue the matter until the next meeting.

Residents from Redmont Park neighborhood, where the property is located, and the Five Points South neighborhood spoke out against the zoning modification. Vulcan Park & Museum President & CEO Darlene Negrotto also asked the board not to approve the modification.

Negrotto said Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard is a gateway into Birmingham and deserves more than the "dead space" of a self-storage facility. She said the corridor is "poised for great progress."

A nearly $6 million Vulcan Park improvement project will be completed in the next couple of weeks, she said.

The city of Birmingham is also studying redesigning Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard between 16th Avenue South and Valley Avenue and adding a 14-foot wide paved multi-use pathway to make walking and biking safer.

Redmont Park resident Bill Mudd asked the board to consider the future use of the property if the self-storage facility goes out of business. He said the building couldn't be used for offices because of the lack of parking spaces.

"This is a bad project," he said. "It is a cheap building for these people to make a lot of money. It is a huge building for a tiny spot."

Mickey Turner, who owns Life Realty next door to the proposed site, said she barely has enough parking spaces for her business. She said she is concerned that if the self-storage facility ran out of parking than its customers would use her lot.

Following the meeting, Lumpkin said he doesn't know how he will move forward. He said making the building taller to accommodate more parking isn't an ideal plan. He said he will go back to the drawing board.

Lumpkin and his attorney John Pickering argued that, according to self-storage industry standards, the parking requirements for self-storage should be much lower than 49. Pickering said data shows self-storage only needs 11 parking spaces, and they were requesting 14.

Board member Henry Penick said the project is the wrong use for the small piece of property along Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard.

He said the property is a "prime location" but no one has proposed a use for the property that will generate less traffic than self-storage.

Board member Don Cosper said the developer is attempting to shoehorn a large project onto a small piece of property. He said the project needs to be smaller to potentially avoid a zoning modification.

Updated at 9:56 a.m. to correct comments from board member Don Cosper.