Residents Speak Out Against Proposed Northport Adventure Sports Park

Politics & Government Residents Speak Out Against Proposed Northport Adventure Sports Park Some Tuscaloosa County residents are speaking out in opposition to a proposed adventure sports park on Rose Boulevard in Northport. Reply
A diagram of the proposed adventure park property (City of Northport)
NORTHPORT, AL — Tuscaloosa County residents living on the fringes of a proposed site for a new adventure sports park in Northport are petitioning for the City Council to have a change of heart Monday when it votes to re-zone the site off of Rose Boulevard.
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Apart from increasing the city’s financial reserves, recreation projects have been the highest priority for this council, which is moving forward not just on an adventure park, but also a new water park off of McFarland Boulevard and large-scale improvements to Kentuck Park.
Indeed, as Patch reported in March, Northport was approved for $45.275 million in general obligation warrants, which will primarily be allocated toward funding the three new recreation projects. Still, residents who live on the outskirts of the property off of Rose Boulevard, such as the Flatwoods community, have expressed concerns not just for having to live next to a mountain biking park, but also relating to the city’s fiscal responsibility to be proper stewards of Northport’s tax dollars.
The 150-acre Rose Boulevard site, which the city purchased from the Black Warrior Solid Waste Authority for $700,000 in September 2021, connects to the western side of Kirk Patterson’s property, along with butting up to several neighbors. Patterson said the city has been above board when it came to notifying the public of hearings relating to the property’s annexation. It’s worth noting that the annexation process is statutorily mandated before the city can spend any money on capital projects for the property.
Given its classification of city, the Northport City Council has the authority to annex land contiguous to property within the city limits and can do so without a referendum or permission from property owners. In this case, however, Northport officials insist the property was already within the city limits. The Rose Boulevard site is a surprisingly complicated one, with nearby adjoining property owners just outside the city limits and considered residents of Tuscaloosa County.
“How did this property get annexed into the city without notifying the adjoining property owners?
Patterson asked in an interview with Patch. “I have not found anybody that has heard of why.” City records show the Northport Planning & Zoning Commission, during its regular meeting on April 11, approved passing the annexation proposal for the Rose Boulevard site to the Northport City Council with a favorable recommendation. It will now be considered during the next regular meeting of the Northport City Council on Monday, May 15. “I understand the concerns and most information can be answered by the ones tasked with overseeing these projects such as our city staff and consultants,” City Council President Jeff Hogg told Patch in response to the concerns raised by residents. “Nothing has been taken lightly and we have been very transparent with open meetings, printed agendas, and tons of publicity from local media sources.” The brief history of Northport’s ownership of the Rose Boulevard property is an interesting one in itself — one that figures quite prominently into Hogg’s vision for the city. In fact, his most consistent platform through his time in office has been boosting Northport’s recreational offerings, namely a water park or aquatic center. As Patch previously reported, when the City Council voted in favor of buying the property in 2021, it was considered a major victory for those wanting more amenities within the city limits.
But it wasn’t for an adventure sports park. No, this was the original intended site for the proposed water park. At first, city officials publicly celebrated securing a location for an aquatic city with everything from a lazy river to water slides. As many will remember, though, this was not to be. Instead, as Patch reported last October, Northport officials made a hard pivot away from the proposed water park’s location and announced the acquisition of a large parcel of land along the U.S. Highway 82 corridor in the vacant tract adjacent to Big Lots, Tractor Supply Co. and Zaxby’s. However, the property purchase for the water park was used as positive public relations that overshadowed why the city had changed plans for the Rose Boulevard site. It was revealed along with the water park announcement that when officials first began to examine the terrain of the Rose Boulevard property, the decision was made to develop the property into an adventure sports park. At the time, Hogg and others cited the costs associated with flattening the land, along with widespread inflationary rises in construction and material costs. Hogg has argued in the past that the property is currently zoned for heavy industrial use, saying the city would not be able to stop something like a concrete plant or landfill from occupying the property.
Still, Patterson has printed circulars and passed them to neighbors laying out his concerns over an adventure sports park connecting to their property. He focuses on five different draw backs: Initial funding for the project Maintenance and operating costs. Security. Impact to property values Wildlife and environmental impact. In his three-page letter to neighbors, he also mentioned petitions going around for anyone to sign if they opposed the plans for the adjoining property. In addition to providing his own contact information, he also said residents interested in signing the petition could contact Jack Webb at (205) 799-8550 or ALFA Agent Joe McCurnin at (205) 473-3888. Patterson also provided his own number — (205) 310-2989 — on the circular and was adamant when explaining the drawbacks to such an endeavor by the City of Northport. The letter ends with Patterson calling on his neighbors to attend Monday’s City Council meeting so residents can have their voices heard before a decision is made.