Work ongoing to bring regional trail system to Jefferson County

By NEAL EMBRY

With 127 miles of the Red Rock Trail System currently on the ground and hundreds more to come, there are plans for every Jefferson County resident to have somewhere to walk or bike, said Carolyn Buck, director of the trail system.

Toward that end, Freshwater Land Trust, which manages the Red Rock Trail System, recently unveiled a plan to build a 36-mile connected loop of trails in the greater Birmingham area over the next 15 years. That loop will be part of the entire system, which will eventually include 750 miles of various types of connected trails throughout Jefferson County.

The plan for the $40 million Red Rock Trail System is to bring a trail within one mile of every home in the county, Buck said. The system will allow people to have access to “all types of outdoor recreation,” including walking, hiking and more, Buck said.

The system includes six major corridors, each with different types of trails. Eventually, a seventh corridor along the Northern Beltline will be built. Main trails primarily follow Birmingham-area waterways, and each corridor has a signature trail, Buck said.

Greater Birmingham Loop

The 36-mile Greater Birmingham loop is a “game changer,” Buck said.

“It’s an ambitious plan,” she said.

The loop will connect Red Mountain to Ruffner Mountain, with other trails throughout the area connected as well, Buck said. The loop is projected to include the municipalities of Birmingham, Homewood, Irondale and Fairfield. The Shades Creek Greenway is the southernmost portion of that trail, Buck said.

New Additions

One new addition to the Red Rock Trail System is the Hugh Kaul trail, formerly known as the Continental Gin Connector, which connects the downtown Rotary Trail to Avondale and then connects Avondale to the historic

Continental Gin Complex, home to Cahaba Brewing. The trail is part of the organization’s plan to connect downtown Birmingham to Ruffner Mountain.

Another new addition is part of Five Mile Creek Greenway in north Jefferson County, with 5.5 miles on the ground already and plans to build two more miles in the next four years, according to Freshwater Land Trust’s four-year strategic plan, released in early March.

The city of Homewood has trails that connect with the system, including the Shades Creek Greenway. City workers recently broke ground on phase two of that project, adding 1.4 miles, with a total of 3 miles added to the system, Buck said.

The city of Mountain Brook joins the system through the Jemison Trail, which connects to the greenway.

In Vestavia Hills, existing system trails include the Boulder Canyon Loop Trail behind the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest and

McCallum Park trails. Other trails in the city that could be connected include Little Shades Creek Greenway and the Patchwork Farms Greenway, Buck said.

Encouraging Community

The mission of the Freshwater Land Trust is to make people more aware of the natural resources in the community, Buck said.

Having a connected trail system brings many benefits, Buck said. It allows people to be more connected, with kids learning to ride a bike and people of all ages walking next to each other, she said. It also brings “amazing” economic benefits, with $11 million set to come to the county as a result of the different opportunities it presents, Buck said.

The trail also has led to higher property values, Buck said. Having trails helps improve the quality of life for residents, said Homewood City Councilor Jennifer Andress. Andress said she is working on making sure the Shades Creek Greenway has regular maintenance, bags for dog waste, trash cans and bathrooms.

Future

In the future, the city of Birmingham is applying for a large Department of Transportation grant to fund the connection of Legion Field to downtown 20th Street. Congresswoman Terri Sewell gave money to help pay for converting 4.5 miles of old rail lines to trails adjacent to Valley Creek, helping connect Red Mountain to the CrossPlex in Ensley. That trail benefits residents of Birmingham, Midfield, Fairfield, Brighton and Lipscomb.

In the next four years, Freshwater Land Trust plans to complete 150 more miles of the Red Rock Trail System, add 50 trailhead signs and 500 trail blazes to the existing system, increase the number of new system users and funding partners, open four new public access properties and expand its community partnerships.

By NEAL EMBRY

A tax incentive plan to help a local developer bring Waldo’s Chicken and Beer, Big Bad Breakfast and other future tenants to the south end of U.S. 31 was approved by the Vestavia Hills City Council on April 10.

The project, which sits on about two acres, is being led by Ward Neely and John Michael Bodnar of Vestavia 31 RE. The plan is to bring a multi-tenant shopping center to the site of the former Motor Lodge, 1467 Montgomery Highway.

The two restaurants will be added to the site, with the permitting process taking about six weeks from the April 10 meeting, Neely said. More tenants will be added to the site, said Assistant City Manager Cinnamon McCulley.

Neely asked the city to help with a feasibility gap, due to the need to raise the site’s elevation to make it less susceptible to flooding and stormwater damage. The cost to alleviate those issues is north of $1 million. The total cost of the project is estimated to be about $6.3 million, according to documents submitted by the developers. City Manager Jeff Downes said it is “critical” to have that site active, as it has not seen regular activity in many years.

The city will give a 50% annual rebate on city sales taxes collected from the site, not including those marked for Vestavia Hills City Schools, up to $1.5 million or for 18 years, whichever comes first. The development is anticipated to generate about $100,000 per year in sales taxes.

The council also accepted a bid for the final sidewalk component of the Community Spaces Plan. Sidewalks will connect Rocky Ridge Road to the existing sidewalks on Morgan Drive and will eventually connect to Dolly Ridge Road. The low bid was submitted by Avery Landscaping in the amount of roughly $418,000. With contingency added in, the total budgeted amount for the project is $460,000.

Downes said work on Crosshaven Drive is essentially complete, with only final striping to be done. Work also continues on the final phase of Wald Park renovations, which includes the addition of six tennis courts, six pickleball courts, more than 100 parking spaces, a dog park and a walking trail. That work is expected to finish by the middle of this summer, Downes said.

In other news, the council also approved the 2021-22 audit for the city, along with newly revised contracts for those who rent facilities at the Civic Center and wish to provide alcohol.