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Photo courtesy of Shelby County
Cahaba River Park
Shelby County this year plans to build 10 miles of trails for hiking, trail running and mountain biking on 1,339 acres that make up the north sector of the new Cahaba River Park off Shelby County 13 near Helena and southwest Hoover, Alabama.
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Map courtesy of Shelby County
Cahaba River Park North Sector map
Shelby County in 2018 plans to build 10 miles of trails for hiking, trail running and mountain biking on 1,339 acres in the north sector of the new Cahaba River Park off Shelby County 13 near Helena and southwest Hoover, Alabama.
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Photo courtesy of Shelby County
Veterans Park sand volleyball courts
Shelby County and the city of Hoover, Alabama, are partnering to add a fourth sand volleyball court and restroom facility with a shower next to the volleyball courts at Veterans Park off Valleydale Road.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover chamber 3-15-18
Jerome Morgan Jr., president of the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce, chats with new chamber Executive Director April Stone after the chamber luncheon at the Hoover Country Club on Thursday, March 15, 2018.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover chamber 3-15-18 (2)
Bill Powell, the recently retired executive director of the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce, poses for a photo with Lori Salter-Schommer, the city of Hoover's liaison to the chamber at the chamber luncheon at the Hoover Country Club on Thursday, March 15, 2018.
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Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover chamber 3-15-18 (3)
Shelby County Manager Alex Dudchock, at left, talks with Jeff McDowell of McDowell Security Services before the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Hoover Country Club in Hoover, Alabama, on Thursday, March 15, 2018.
Shelby County is about to begin construction on 10 miles of trails for hiking, trail running and mountain biking on 1,339 acres in the new Cahaba River Park under development near Helena and southwest Hoover, County Manager Alex Dudchock told the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce today.
Construction should start in April and be completed by late fall, Dudchock told the 165 people who attended the chamber luncheon at the Hoover Country Club. When those 10 miles of trails are finished, there will be more than 17 miles of trails in the northern sector of Cahaba River Park, which is on the north side of the river, Dudchock said.
Cahaba River Park in total has about 1,500 acres owned by Shelby County and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Forever Wild program. The state owns the bulk of the land, which is located off Shelby County 13, about nine miles from the Morgan Road exit on Interstate 459, Dudchock said.
The county already built a 3-mile River Road to connect Shelby County 13 to the Cahaba River. This spring and summer it will also be building two pavilions and a restroom facility on county property there, Dudchock said.
The county also has completed a caretaker’s home, and this month a Shelby County sheriff’s deputy and his family moved into it, Dudchock said.
“That police presence is invaluable,” he said. “This area is a rather isolated area. … That presence there is significant.”
The Cahaba River Park project was just one of many county projects Dudchock talked about at today’s luncheon.
He also said Shelby County and Hoover are partnering to add a fourth sand volleyball court and another restroom facility with a shower next to the volleyball courts at Veterans Park off Valleydale Road. That project should be done this spring and summer, he said.
Map courtesy of Shelby County
Shelby County and the city of Hoover, Alabama are partnering to build a fourth sand volleyball court and new restroom facility with a shower next to the sand volleyball courts at Veterans Park off Valleydale Road.
Here’s a brief recap Dudchock gave of other county projects for 2018:
- The county last month completed 2.5 miles of hiking, trail running and mountain biking trails at Beeswax Creek Park on Lay Lake, with the exception of two small bridges yet to be completed. The county also has added two canoe-in campsites, a new restroom facility and playground in the park and is building a new parking lot for boat launches there.
- The county is partnering with Pelham to build four fully-lit sand volleyball courts, a large pavilion, restroom facility and two fully-lit outdoor basketball courts at Pelham Park. They should open in about five months. The county also plans to build the first leg of a new trail system there.
- At Oak Mountain State Park, the county is building four new restroom facilities, a new boat launch parking lot and boat launch improvements. The county also is widening the main road through the park — Findlay Drive — to provide for bicycle lanes on both sides of the road and soon will introduce a new bald eagle exhibit at the Alabama Wildlife Center.
- The county is about to open a new 12-plane hangar at the Shelby County Airport, and it is 100 percent leased and has eight people on a waiting list. It is the seventh hangar built at the airport.
- The county is a partner in construction of a new College of Fine Arts building scheduled to open May 17 at the University of Montevallo.
- The county has a new canoe-in campsite at Gorman Park on Lay Lake near Vincent.
- At the Shelby County Courthouse in Columbiana, the county is building two additional courtrooms, new attorney and client offices, judicial suites, a designated juvenile court and family court area and new exterior canopy on the back side of the courthouse.
Dudchock also gave a brief update on the economic status of the county. Consumer and business confidence is strong, with sales tax collections and motor vehicle values increasing and employment opportunities growing, he said. Shelby County continues to have the lowest unemployment rate in Alabama (3 percent in January, according to the Alabama Department of Labor.)
Photo by Jon Anderson
Hoover chamber 3-15-18 (4)
Shelby County Manager Alex Dudchock, center, chats with Harvey Campbell, at left, and Bobby Humphrey after the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Hoover Country Club on Thursday, March 15, 2018.
Hotel occupancy rates are high, and four months into the fiscal year, county lodging tax revenues are up 21 percent over this time last year — to $920,724, Dudchock said. Property values are increasing, and residential and commercial development continues, he said.
The county government’s general fund revenues for the first four months of the fiscal year were up 4.5 percent to $35.1 million, and revenues for the county highway department are up 7.4 percent to $10.3 million for the same period, Dudchock said.
Even though Shelby County is a prosperous county, the county government has to maintain conservative budget management strategies because with growth comes a greater need for county services, he said.
