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Photo by Jon Anderson
Ryan Cavender, a recreation manager for the Hoover Parks and Recreation Department, guides a paddle board at a Cahaba River canoe launch at Flemming Park in the Trace Crossings community in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
People pose for a photo at the bottom of a new canoe launch at Flemming Park in the Trace Crossings community in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Ryan Cavender, a recreation manager for the Hoover Parks and Recreation Department, makes his way down the stairs at a ribbon cutting for a new Cahaba River canoe launch at Flemming Park in the Trace Crossings community in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
A new Cahabar River canoe launch at Flemming Park in the Trace Crossings community in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Ryan Cavender, a recreation manager for the Hoover Parks and Recreation Department, talks with park maintenance supervisor Colin Conner before he gets on a paddle board at a Cahaba River canoe launch at Flemming Park in the Trace Crossings community in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Signature Homes CEO Jonathan Belcher speaks at a ribbon cutting for a new Cahaba River canoe launch at Flemming Park in the Trace Crossings community in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. Signature Homes designed and built the park as well as the canoe launch.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Signature Homes CEO Jonathan Belcher cuts a ribbon to signify the opening of a new Cahaba River canoe launch at Flemming Park in the Trace Crossings community in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover Council President John Lyda speaks at a ribbon cutting for a new Cahaba River canoe launch at Flemming Park in the Trace Crossings community in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Signature Homes built this Cahaba River canoe launch at Flemming Park in the Trace Crossings community in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Signature Homes CEO Jonathan Belcher speaks at a ribbon cutting for a new Cahaba River canoe launch at Flemming Park in the Trace Crossings community in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. Signature Homes designed and built the park as well as the canoe launch.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover Parks and Recreation Board Chairwoman Lynn Cummings speaks at a ribbon cutting for a new Cahaba River canoe launch at Flemming Park in the Trace Crossings community in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover Parks and Recreation Director Erin Colbaugh speaks at a ribbon cutting for a new Cahaba River canoe launch at Flemming Park in the Trace Crossings community in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
People gather for a ribbon cutting for a new Cahaba River canoe launch at Flemming Park in the Trace Crossings community in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Steve Castleman, chief operating officer for Spectrum Environmental, speaks at a ribbon cutting for a new Cahaba Rver canoe launch at Flemming Park in the Trace Crossings community in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Colin Conner, a park maintenance supervisor for the Hoover Parks and Recreation Department and Hoover's city forester, welcomes people to a ribbon cutting for a new Cahaba River canoe launch at Flemming Park in the Trace Crossings community in Hoover, Alabama, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.
The city of Hoover officially dedicated a new canoe launch along the Cahaba River in Flemming Park in the Trace Crossings community on Wednesday.
The canoe launch was built by Signature Homes as part of its commitment to donate 130 acres of parkland along the Cahaba River in conjunction with the company’s residential developments in Trace Crossings and further south in Blackridge.
The canoe launch gives the public direct access to the Cahaba River through the Lake Wilborn community. A gravel drive from 2502 Murphy Pass leads down near the river, and a short trail leads the rest of the way to the canoe launch.
In total, Signature Homes has built 10 miles of trails for hiking and biking in Flemming Park, as well as a pavilion that’s closer to the Abingdon by the River community built by Signature. However, all of the parkland is public property now owned by the city of Hoover and is open to the public.
Signature Homes CEO Jonathan Belcher said the parkland and canoe launch have been in the works since at least 2007 when his company was seeking a permit to alter the flow of the stream that feeds into the Blackridge Lake his company created.
“These things don’t happen overnight,” Belcher said.
At that time, Signature committed to put restrictive covenants on 5 miles of Cahaba River frontage to protect the river, said Steve Castleman of the Spectrum Environmental company that worked with Signature to develop and implement a river protection plan.
That protection plan included removing privet that had taken over the area along the river and replacing it with trees that are native to the area and monitoring the maintaining the area for 10 years to make sure the new growth took hold, Castleman said.
Beth Stewart, the former executive director of the Cahaba River Society, and Randy Haddock, the retired field director for the society, played a key role in development of that plan, Castleman said.
Hoover Parks and Recreation Director Erin Colbaugh said Hoover residents made it clear when giving input for the city’s parks and public spaces master plan that greenways, blueways and gaining more access to the Cahaba River were some of the most desired things they wanted regarding parks and recreation.
The city of Hoover has more frontage on the Cahaba River — 20 miles — than any other city, Colbaugh said. People who get into the river at the Flemming Park canoe launch can follow the river to Bibb County and eventually, after connecting to the Alabama River, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico if they so desire, Colbaugh said.
A map of the Cahaba River and its access points can be found at cahabablueway.org.
“This is an amazing space for residents to enjoy, but also our visitors to town,” Colbaugh said, noting that more than 700,000 people visited the nearby Hoover Metropolitan Complex in 2023.
The city has a new education and volunteer coordinator, Rachel Latham, who will be developing programs to help people learn about nature in the city, and this canoe launch could be a good location for some of those activities, Colbaugh said.
Hoover Council President John Lyda said parks and public spaces have been a primary priority of Mayor Frank Brocato and his administration.
“Today is just another step in the culmination of us providing greater public amenities and activating the Cahaba River,” Lyda said. “For many years, we have not taken full advantage of that amenity that God has left us with right here in our community. This is a huge step forward. This will serve as a catalyst for other greenways and blueways and connections not only throughout the city and Jefferson County but throughout Shelby County and indeed the greater Birmingham metro area.”
Signature Homes has continually set the gold standard for being a model corporate citizen, Lyda said.
“Many developers will come to the city willing to donate land, but Signature Homes goes the next mile and says, ‘We not only want to donate land. We want to give you a turnkey project. We want to design it. We want to build it, and then we want to turn it over to the city for the public to enjoy,’” Lyda said.
“Our goal is to continue to enhance blueways. Over the next several months and years, you’ll be hearing about more opportunities where we’re enjoying and activating this river all along the limits of the city,” Lyda said.Hoover Parks and Recreation Board Chairwoman Lynn Cummings said the park board and city will continue to make improvements to all city parks “because we want to make sure our citizens have only the best.”
