A look ahead: Parks and Rec plans 4 improvement projects

Shanda Williams, the superintendent of Mountain Brook’s Parks and Recreation Department, is pleased with the state of the city’s facilities.

“They’re in pretty good shape,” she said. “There’s always room to make changes and improvements, but Mountain Brook has some of the best parks in the area.”

Of course, the effort to maintain these facilities is ongoing, including four key projects in 2018, Williams said.

Irondale Furnace Trail

The city will have invasive plants removed at the Irondale Furnace Trail in Cherokee Bend, the site of an 1860s iron furnace, in February.

The work will consist of cutting and spraying to remove mimosa trees, privet, ivy and other plants not native to the woodlands.

“I hope that will be done by the end of February, when native species start to come out for spring,” Williams said.

As of press time, Williams was getting quotes from contractors and said she hoped the project would cost no more than $5,000.

Tennis courts

Two tennis courts at Overton Park and six courts at Mountain Brook High School are to be resurfaced in May.

“The high-school tennis season runs from January through April, so we are working around them,” Williams said.

The city has an estimate of about $40,000 for the work, which should take two or three weeks. 

As of press time, Williams was creating specifications and preparing to bid out the job.

Restrooms

By the summer, the department hopes to finish adding restrooms to the fields at Mountain Brook Elementary and Crestline Elementary. 

The work at MBE was delayed when the city, which had budgeted about $100,000 for the project, received a bid of more than $300,000, Williams said.

To save money, the city identified seven things it could change in the bid, she said, including making the exterior walls brick, instead of a stone veneer, and making the pipes PEX, an expandable plastic, not copper.

“We’re working on making those changes and rebidding them in January,” said Williams, who noted that architect James Carter has volunteered his time to design the facility.

Even with the changes, the bid will likely come in higher than $100,000, according to Williams.

The gap is to be made up with money raised by some Mountain Brook residents.

The MBE restroom will be located near the intersection of Cahaba Road and Heathermoor Road. 

“That whole field’s in a flood zone, so that’s the only place they could put it,” Williams said.

After getting the MBE job underway, Williams hopes to bid out the Crestline Elementary restrooms, an expansion of an existing structure located near the tennis courts.

Draining the fields

The city is fixing drainage issues at MBHS with the help of Dick Shea, a local contractor who has donated his time to the project. 

For example, a lot of water collects on Fields 3 and 4, located near an embankment behind the school. 

Shea dug out and cleaned some clogged drainage pipes in that area.

“The water will flow pretty well now,” Williams said.

The contractor also leveled out and made other improvements to the infields on Fields 3, 4, 5 and 6.

The city will address several other drainage issues after the spring athletic season, including water that gathers in the dugouts, according to Williams.