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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
A new parking area and pavilion are some of several improvements at Altadena Valley Park in Vestavia Hills, located at the former Altadena Valley Golf Course on Lakeland Trail off Acton Road in Vestavia Hills, seen on June 14. The city of Vestavia Hills partnered with Shelby County on improvements to the park.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
A new parking area and pavilion are some of several improvements at Altadena Valley Park in Vestavia Hills, located at the former Altadena Valley Golf Course on Lakeland Trail off Acton Road in Vestavia Hills, seen on June 14. The city of Vestavia Hills partnered with Shelby County on improvements to the park.
There are many park updates taking place along the U.S. 280 corridor. 280 Living spoke to county officials about the projects and what residents and visitors can expect
Veterans Park on Valleydale Road
Project: New pickleball courts
Status: Complete
Trey Gauntt, the chief facilities management officer for Shelby County, said the county identified a huge demand for more pickleball court availability at Heardmont, and the city of Hoover approached them to partner on a project at Veterans Park.
The total cost was originally around $1.3 million, but some change orders were added that were covered by the city of Hoover. Shelby County’s portion of the cost was $400,000.
The project included eight pickleball courts and an addition of 45 to 50 parking spaces. The county partnered with the city of Hoover several years ago on a pavilion and restroom project that will serve this area of the park.
The courts opened to the public just before Memorial Day. No ribbon cutting had been held as of 280 Living’s press deadline, but the space has already been frequented by many pickleballers.
“It’s a great project,” County Manager Chad Scroggins said. “Basically the day they opened it, it was already full.”
Oak Mountain State Park access via Belcher Road, off US 280
Project: Pavilion, restrooms, parking lot
Status: Completion estimated in mid-late July
In order to provide access into Oak Mountain State Park via an entrance off U.S. 280, the county is working to complete a $250,000 hiking/biking entrance off Belcher Road, with a two-mile connector trail that leads into the park.
The parking lot will serve as a trailhead and feature two restrooms (one including a shower) with a combined pavilion space.
The state Department of Conservation & Natural Resources and OMSP will be responsible for the installation of an automated payment gate, which will allow guests entrance to the area with an annual pass or credit card for the same fee as the other OMSP entrances: $5 per adult (age 12 and older); $2 per child (ages 4 to 11); $2 for seniors (age 62 and older); and free for ages 3 and younger.
“When Forever Wild purchased this property [1,000 acres of land], they hit a home run,” Gauntt said.
Once parked, guests can walk or bike to a connected trail on the Belcher Byway, which is about a two-mile trek or ride that comes out at Lunker Lake, near the back entrance of the park off Alabama 119.
“This provides access to all of the residents up and down U.S. 280 from Chelsea into town,” Scroggins said. “It makes a very convenient access to go for a short bike ride or hike to the fishing lakes there. There's a nice lake called Catfish Lake four-tenths of a mile from a beautiful vista that overlooks the rest of the park. It will provide a very convenient access into OMSP without having to drive into the Pelham side of the park.”
Heardmont Stadium
Project: Lighting upgrade
Status: To be completed before the first Oak Mountain High School football game on Aug. 23
Gauntt said the electrical panels at Heardmont Stadium are in dire need of repair and replacement. The existing concrete poles will be used.
The current lighting and controls will be replaced with brighter, more efficient LED fixtures that have better controls.
This project will be a partnership between the county and Shelby County Schools, totalling $300,000. The county will pay $250,000 from lodging tax and tourism funds and the school system will foot $50,000 of the project’s costs.
“The lighting manufacturer and contractor moved things around on their schedules to be able to complete the project before the first home game,” Scroggins said.
Dunnavant Valley Fields
Project: Lighting upgrade
Status: Potentially August or September 2024
Using funds from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, and local tourism funding, fields five and six at Dunnavant Valley Fields will be getting upgraded electrical panels.
LED fixtures and controls were upgraded on fields three and four several years ago, since those are the most used fields.
Gauntt said these fields are heavily used by Birmingham United Soccer Association as well as the Birmingham Legion for their practices.
The total cost of the project is $210,000, with $82,000 from grants and county tourism funds paying the remaining amount.
“This will solve some of the electrical issues,” Scroggins said. “Some of the lights are 20 to 30 years old and have reached the end of lifespan.”
Once the materials arrive in July, the project should be completed within six to eight weeks, according to the county.
Another project will be putting up new netting on fields one and two in a split partnership with BUSA, with each entity paying $35,000.
Double Oak Park
Project: 12-mile trail addition
Status: End of July or early August 2024
According to Gauntt, the contractor on the Double Oak Park project, FloMotion Trail Builders, was about 80% complete as 280 Living’s deadline, and the project should be finishing up in the next six weeks or so.
Funded through a Recreational Trail Grant from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, the total cost of the 12-mile trail project is $570,000.
The entrance to the park is on Highway 43 in the Chelesa/Sterrett area.
“We want to drive people to the trailhead there,” Gauntt said. “You can get to that park from the Shelby County 41 side, but it crosses private property owned by a developer that includes a fence. The Double Oak Park access off Shelby County 43 is a much larger and separate park. The two are not connected right now, but we are working on trying to acquire more property to connect the two.”
Altadena Valley Park
Project: Restroom and pavilion project
Status: Complete
Altadena Valley Park is a 66-acre passive park located on the former Altadena Valley Country Club golf course. Part of the park is located in Shelby County, and the county partnered with the city of Vestavia Hills to build a restroom and pavilion project, including furnishing materials and labor, getting power to the site and building the parking lot there. The county’s portion of the project was $100,000.
The park is currently undergoing a multi-phased refresh that will encompass a new pavilion and rest shelter, bridge restoration, native wildflower and grass plantings, as well as a pathway system that will further connect the site. It will be a passive park, which means a public park that does not host specifically programmed activities but rather offers a variety of recreational opportunities in a natural setting.
Gauntt shared that the county is researching additional locations for pickleball sites to meet the demand.
“In the pickleball arena, we are actively looking for spots to put courts in several different locations,” he said. “Two of the potential sites for news locations are at Heardmont Park and Forest Park.”
Scroggins said the biggest key is that the county is continuously looking for grant opportunities and partners to make these projects happen.
“It improves the quality of life of our residents in Shelby County, and we’re always looking at ways to keep the cost down through these partnerships and through grant programs,” he said.
