City decides on spending for park improvements

By Grace Lovins

Updates are coming soon to three city parks after Birmingham City Commissioners approved a plan for parks and recreation bond spending during the Monday, August 12, commission meeting.

Approval of the plan opens the door for parks and recreation updates to be planned for this fiscal year.

Voters approved a parks and recreation bond back in 2020 to support city-wide park improvements. Department of public services director Scott Zielinski stated that, since the bond passed, cost estimates for parks projects have increased, outpacing what the bond was intended to accomplish. He explained that there is currently about $3.3 million left to fund the remaining park projects.

The commission was asked to give direction on how to proceed by determining the priority of projects and how to budget them. City staff brought forward three plans for the commission to review, but recommended Plan B as the best option.

Plan B calls for the city to complete proposed improvements at Booth Park and complete only the playground improvements at Kenning Park and St. James Park. Once those projects are completed, there will be approximately $922,000 remaining in the parks and recreation bond for improvements at Crestview Park and Howarth Park.

Booth Park improvements include the entry plaza and trail improvements, which were discussed later on during the same meeting. Kenning Park and St. James Park will each get new accessible playgrounds as part of the plan.

Commissioners voiced their approval of Plan B, noting the plan helps bring about the updates that were promised to voters.“I think Plan B allows us to keep the promises we made to the community,” said temporary mayor pro tem and former chair of the parks and recreation board Therese Longe.

Ultimately, the commission voted 5-0 in favor of Plan B. Commissioner Andrew Haig was absent from the meeting.