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The Birmingham City Council on Tuesday approved an agreement that will help renovate a pedestrian bridge over Valley Creek.
The agreement concerns a wooden walking bridge that connects the residential area along Blocton Avenue and Sugar Ray Drive, near Bessemer Superhighway, to the Roosevelt City Recreation Center.
During a Transportation and Infrastructure Committee meeting last week, city staff said the current bridge, which the city built in the late 1990s, has deteriorated. The interlocal agreement with Jefferson County is needed because some of the site lies just outside the city limits on unincorporated land.
“I am very excited about this,” said council President Wardine Alexander, whose district includes the bridge. “I know this has been a long time coming. A lot of residents have asked for this to allow that access. It was one that we used often when I was growing up. It connected you to the neighboring community. So, we’re glad to be able to give these residents this access back.”
Sculpture in Cahaba Road roundabout
The council on Tuesday also approved an intergovernmental agreement allowing the city of Mountain Brook to install a sculpture at the center of a public roundabout on Cahaba Road that is in the Birmingham city limits.
The roundabout, which is near the Birmingham Zoo, is one of two completed last year as part of a joint project with Mountain Brook.
The agreement approved Tuesday states that Mountain Brook will maintain the art piece. Details about the sculpture were not discussed Tuesday, but city staff said Mountain Brook officials will provide a final rendering for approval by Birmingham officials.
Pratt-Ensley rezoning plan OK’d
In other business, the council approved zoning changes associated with the Pratt-Ensley Framework Plan after holding a public hearing.
It’s one of nine such plans developed under the city’s 2013 Comprehensive Plan. Local leaders say the documents are designed to guide Birmingham’s future growth, investments and neighborhood revitalization, breaking down citywide goals into actionable steps. The city also has a public hearing scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Oct. 20 for the Southern Area Framework Plan, which includes the Crestline, Crestwood and Red Mountain communities.
