Council approves biking trail project at McCallum park

At its first meeting of 2017 the Vestavia Hills City Council voted to approve a new mountain biking trail at McCallum park.

Public Works director Brian Davis explained to the council that in the fall of 2015, the mountain biking club at Vestavia Hills High School approached the city about finding a place to practice within city limits.

At the time, the team was practicing at Oak Mountain State Park, but the driving distance and limited daylight hours were becoming an issue for the team hoping to grow.

In 2015, when the city acquired the former Altadena Valley Country Club, Davis said it was suggested that the team make use of that property. While he said the team has been appreciative of that opportunity, the terrain of the property isn't exactly what the team needs.

Davis said it was then discussed to build a trail at McCallum park.

The one-mile trail, Davis said, would be "extreme terrain" to be utilized by mountain bikers and active hikers, rather than a casual walker or jogger.

The resolution approved by the city named TrailVisions, LLC as the company that would construct the trail.

Davis said that the trail's design would force users to slow down around curves and would be designed to mitigate major falls.

The total cost of the project was set at $20,300.

Michael Enervold of TrailVisions said that the trail would be "just like Oak Mountain, but on a micro scale."

Place 2 Councilor Kimberly Cook asked Davis if any grant funding had been considered for the project, and how it compared to a similar project undertaken recently in Gardendale.

Davis said that the Parks and Recreation Foundation had declined to provide funding for the project, and that while they have reached out to the Fresh Water Land Trust, whose land the trail would partially cross, nothing has been set in stone.

Enervold said that the Gardendale project, which was around three miles, cost just under $50,000.

Davis said that if any funding were to come in from the Fresh Water Land Trust or other source, it would be taken off the total project cost to the city, but that the project would be capped at $20,300.

The council also voted to accept a bid for the Willoughby Road sidewalk project, awarding the bid to Walker Patton Co.

After negotiations, City Manager Jeff Downes said, the project will total $266,000. Of that total, $180,000 will come from the sidewalk capital fund, depleting the amount. The other $86,000, Downes said, would need to come from the capital reserve fund, the provision for which was outlined in the resolution.

Downes stressed, after inquiry from the council, that just because the sidewalk fund was emptied, the city would not be hindered in the future from completing additional sidewalk projects. In fact, he said, the ongoing design work for Green Valley Road would continue as planned.

He said that once the project gets underway, it would be a 90-day completion project.

Eventually, Downes said, the idea with the Willoughby Road project is a cog in the wheel of the central-Vestavia connectivity plan. The Willoughby project will provide access to Vestavia Hills Elementary Central, and should the pedestrian bridge over U.S. 31 be completed, there would be full connectivity from Wald Park to the school.

Upon prompting from a question by Place 4 Councilor George Pierce, Downes explained that all of the new sidewalks would adhere to ADA requirements, and that the city is working with a consulting firm to ensure that the requirements are met.

Other Council Business Included:

• Approved an economic development agreement with Armstrong Development Group, LLC for a development in Cahaba Heights. The commercial development, which would include a Martin's BBQ restaurant, will split the accrued sales tax 50/50 with the city for the first 10 years, or until the maximum of $575,000 is reached. The agreement, Downes explains, is made possible by a state amendment allowing cities to provide incentives for developments that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive. 
• Downes thanked all of the city's first responders and public works facilities, specifically Police Chief Dan Rary, for their service during the weekend ice storm.
• Downes reported that the city received a call from Superintendent Sheila Phillips about constructing a temporary, gravel parking lot at the Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights ball fields to account for the increased traffic during baseball season. Parking has been a concern due to continuing construction at the school, Downes said.
• Mayor Ashley Curry reminded citizens that the drought ordinance is still in effect, and would continue until the Birmingham Water Works Board reduced the drought level to Stage 2.