Photo courtesy of Birmingham Historical Society
One of the springs on the Hale Springs property along Shades Crest Road, circa 1910.
The Forever Wild Land Trust board of trustees on Thursday didn’t vote to purchase the 18-acre historic Hale Springs property in Bluff Park, but it didn’t vote against the idea either.
Instead, the board asked Hoover City Administrator Ken Grimes to organize a meeting with Birmingham, Jefferson County, two land preservation groups and state officials to further discuss what might happen with the land if Forever Wild were to purchase it, Grimes said.
The historic property, which is a steep slope along Shades Crest Road next to the former Tip Top Grill restaurant, made a short list of properties the Forever Wild board was considering to buy in order to preserve them from development.
But board members have questions they want more fully explored before making such a decision, including how much the Hale Springs property is worth, more details about how proposed trails would be built and maintained, and where people who would want to visit the property would park their vehicles, Grimes said.
There may be additional issues the board wants addressed as well, but the takeaway from Thursday’s meeting, held on the Jacksonville State University campus, is that the board does have some interest in the property and the proposal is still alive, Grimes said.
The Hale Springs property is just northeast of the former Tip Top Grill restaurant, which is a favorite scenic overlook, especially at sunset time. The property is divided into two parcels — a roughly 6-acre narrow parcel parallel to Shades Crest Road and a roughly 12-acre triangle-shaped parcel going down Shades Mountain.
It contains at least two historical springs that have been traced back to days when Native American tribes controlled the land, said Marjorie White, director of the Birmingham Historical Society.
Map courtesy of Birmingham Historical Society
This map shows the 18-acre Hale Springs property (the largest of the three properties in green along Shades Crest Road). Just to the southwest is the former Tip Top Grill property and the Sunset Rock/Lover's Leap property. The area outlined in red is the 1885 survey for Hale Springs development.
It was the source of water for Native Americans and later other settlers on the mountain until they could build wells, White said. Some people believed the springs had medicinal value, but that was never really proven, said Larry Rodick, president of the Friends of Shades Mountain group that is leading the preservation effort.
It’s now one of the few undeveloped pieces of property along that part of Shades Mountain, and numerous parties want to preserve it because of its historic value and natural beauty.
The Forever Wild board is particularly interested in how much the land is actually worth because there have been varying reports of previous asking prices, Grimes said.
There were about 25 people with the Friends of Shades Mountain and Birmingham Historical Society at Thursday’s Forever Wild board meeting to show support for the purchase of the property, Grimes said. About half a dozen people spoke, including Grimes, Rodick and Hoover City Planner Mac Martin.
Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, Birmingham Council President Darrell O'Quinn, Birmingham Council President Pro Tem Wardine Alexander and Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens all wrote letters in support of the land purchase as well.
The Hale Springs property is in the Birmingham city limits and is right next to property that is in the Hoover city limits as well as 472 acres owned by Jefferson County. The Freshwater Land Trust has 248 acres not far away, Rodick said.
Grimes is now tasked with bringing together representatives from Hoover, Birmingham, Jefferson County, the Freshwater Land Trust and the state lands director for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to discuss options for the Hale Springs land.
The property has been owned by a man named Ron Roegner, who lives directly across Shades Crest Road, since the early to mid-1990s. He tried to sell it several years back, but it has been off the market for a couple of years now, he said. He said he, too, is interested in seeing it preserved.
