Emily Featherston
There weren't as many attendees at the public forums for the Wald Park ballfields and the proposed community building at the current Gold's Gym facility as there were at previous meetings, but those who did attend voiced their opinions Thursday night on what those facilities should look like.
TCU Consulting Services principal Ken Upchurch again explained the process the firm would be going through with each subcommittee, and how the information gathered at this round of meetings as well as through the online surveys would be used to provide options for the city council to consider.
At Thursday night's meetings, Upchurch added that in addition to working with the city's resources, he and his team are looking for ways to coordinate with Vestavia's neighbors, and possibly leverage amenities to best suit the entire community. One example, brought up in the community building discussion, would be to partner with Hoover for use of their senior center, if such an agreement could be reached.
Wald Park Ballfields
Much of the discussion about the fields at Wald Park focused on whether or not to replace the current natural grass with artificial turf.
Audience members expressed concern that turf gets too hot, especially in the early weeks of football season.
Additionally, Jared Smith with Vestavia Hills Youth Baseball said that if it were up to baseball, he doesn't see the need for turf fields, and that turf requires just as much maintenance as grass. He said Mike Hill, who currently manages the fields, has done a fantastic job of maintaining the fields, and that they are envied by those in surrounding areas.
City Councilor Paul Head said that he recognized the pros and cons of turf, but that ultimately the decision should be based on what surface allows for the best use by the highest number of people.
Upchurch said TCU would be working so that the community didn't feel boxed in to either alternative.
“We see our job as to build you enough options so you’re not forced into a decision you’d prefer not to make,” he said.
During the live survey portion of the meeting, where those in attendance as well as those watching on livestream were able to participate, a majority of respondents said they preferred natural grass or a combination of turf and grass, rather than only turf.
Community Building
Upchurch said that in his opinion, the city's acquisition of the property currently rented by Gold's Gym was timed in such a way as to provide the most options for the community, and said that in the end, much of the what the community spaces plan will end up being hinges on how the property will be utilized.
Conversation in the meeting focused on whether or not a dedicated senior center or area would be appropriate for the building, with those in attendance mixed on their perceptions as to whether or not the facility would be heavily utilized for that purpose.
During the live survey, even though the number of respondents was low–about 10–there was overwhelming support for the building being used for meeting and gathering spaces, not for athletic purposes.
Respondents also said priority should be given to event space, senior programing and flex space that could be used for a variety of programs.
Both meetings were livestreamed https://www.facebook.com/CityofVestaviaHills/, and the surveys for each that will remain up for at least the next week were set to be published around 8 a.m.
