Photo by Erin Nelson.
A man walks along the gravel path at Altadena Valley Park in Vestavia Hills on March 6.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs has awarded the city of Vestavia Hills a $137,508 grant to expand the trail network in Altadena Valley Park, City Manager Jeff Downes said this week.
The grant money will allow the city to add more than 2,000 linear feet of additional trails in the park, Downes said.
The city will have to come up with another $34,000 or so to cover its share of the project, which is 20% of the cost.
Trails often are one of the top things that Vestavia Hills residents request when city officials ask in surveys what types of amenities are needed in the community, Downes said. He praised Melissa Hipp, the city’s grant writer, and Parks and Leisure Services Director Jamie Lee for their work to obtain the grant to get the project accomplished.