Map courtesy of city of Vestavia Hills
The city of Vestavia Hills is considering new trail connections (shown in red) at Altadena Valley Park. Existing trails are shown in blue and white.
The Vestavia Hills City Council on Monday night will consider whether to apply for a $136,000 federal grant to help develop trails at Altadena Valley Park.
The plan includes a new trail on the northern end of the park, trail connections around the lake in the park and a new trail segment on the westernmost side of the park. The trail would be a 6-foot-wide asphalt trail for non-motorized use.
The plan also includes repair of a 70-foot-long bridge in the trail system and various amenities for the trails.
The total estimated cost of the project is $209,000, city records show. The city is seeking $135,909 in grant money from the Federal Highway Administration’s Recreational Trails Program, administered through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.
If awarded the grant, the city would have to contribute $33,977 as a 20% match to the federal money. Additional expenses not eligible for federal funding would total $39,149, putting the total cost to the city at $73,127. Most, if not all, of those expenses would be expected to come out of the city’s 2025 budget, according to a memo from Melissa Hipp, assistant to City Manager Jeff Downes.
The trail project is part of a master plan developed for Altadena Valley Park in 2021.
A City Council work session is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. at Vestavia Hills City Hall, followed by an action meeting at 6 p.m.
