Area Greenways are on the rise

[kayman]

Article from The Birmingham News

It is great to see more developers and planners have the desire to develop greenways in the metro area. These private greenways could be incorporated into the regional greenway that has been on the drawing board for awhile now. Birmingham does have an advantage over most other Southern cities, and that is the preservation of open spaces. Birmingham is also home to numerous ridges and valleys that have been yet to be touched by the the rapid urbanization of the region. This will in the long run work to the region's advantage because once we incorporate all the other elements such as Railroad Park, Ruffner Mountain, and Red Mountain Park, this place will be a very desireable place to live.

[kayman]

Five Mile Creek plan on path to completion

This is one of the best forms of unintentional park and greenways developments in the state. The original idea was to make the land surrounding Five Mile Creek into an undeveloped flood buff zone, but it turned into something else. The would help create the second greenway in the county (behind the Shades Creek Greenway) and the county's longest. Before this idea of a greenway this waterway was one of the most polluted in the state, now it is one of the cleanest. However, there is still a 16.5 mile stretch that need to be purchased from CSX to complete the greenway, but talks have stalled between Jefferson County and CSX. Hopefully, this will be complete and offer a recreationa pathway and greenway from Center Point to Graysville.

[Blazer85]

Sounds great.

[kayman]

Commission to decide greenways' future

The Jefferson County Commission must make a decision by year's end on the land for preservation. It could either be placed in a land trust or given to a non-profit group who must preserve the lands forever.

[kayman]

Jeffco commission votes to cut ties with Freshwater Land Trust

This ends their agreement with the organization to maintain lands surrounding the Cahaba River. It will place the lands in a land trust.

[kayman]

It appears the County Commission has moved the property into a land trust after all. As mentioned in the previous post the County had to maintain this land which was an order by the feds for EPA violations. The county has now liquidated the responsibility of the land.

4,500 acres in Jeffco convey to land trust

[kayman]

Although this is Shelby County, but it is related to the overall regional greenway system.

Trail system proposed for Oak Mtn. area

The MPO will vote in January on the first piece of the greenway to connect Heardmont Park to the Oak Mountain school. The long term hopes to connect the Oak Mountain schools, Our Lady of the Valley Catholic School, North Shelby County Library, and Oak Mountain State Park together when the entire trail is complete.

[kayman]

Jeffco told to continue greenways program

The US Justice Department has told the Jefferson County Commission that it must continue its greenway program. However, the Justice Dept. has not threaten fines, yet.

I wonder what ole Bettye Fine Collins going to do now since she was hoping to have the county to give its responsibility of fiscal responsibility of the land for the greenway system?