TALLADEGA COUNTY – There are 2,832 acres of land north of Talladega that for more than five years have been waiting to be developed.The Coosa River Storage Annex, also known as the Brecon Annex and Gents Mountain, was taken over by Talladega County after the National Park Service deeded the land to the county in September 2003.
The land had been used as a munitions works and a storage area by the federal government. Large cylindrical concrete structures, commonly referred to as igloos, were built on the land and used for munitions storage.
The land was deeded to the county from the National Parks Service as part of the Federal Lands to Parks Program. The program deeds surplus federal property to state and local government agencies at no cost.
The land must be used for public park and recreational use, though.
According to the National Park Service, “(Land) may be developed for a single or multiple recreation activities, such as hiking, biking, camping, picnicking, hunting, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, swimming, boating, tennis, golf and playing organized sports.
“If appropriate, the land may remain undeveloped for passive recreational use, as long as it is open to the public.”
Now after five years, plans the county had for the area have fallen through. Bill Huie, program manager for the Federal Lands to Parks Program, is now looking for new suitors for the land.
“After five years there is still no public park area there,” Huie said. “That puts the county in non-compliance with the original agreement.”
Huie said though the title to the land rests with the county, the land still is subject to federal oversight, which is how the government still can find the county in non-compliance.
At one point in 2007, the county had entered into an agreement with the Talladega County Board of Education for the school board to develop the land into a conservation park.
This proposal was rejected by the National Park Service. Huie said the park service’s legal staff did not believe it was appropriate for a school board to be in charge of running a park.
“We never had a school board apply for property before. Its mission does not include public park opportunities,” Huie said. “We looked closely at their application and talked to our solicitor about it and deemed the school board would not be an eligible applicant.”
Johnny Ponder, Talladega County school board member for District 3, said he felt the park service made a mistake in ruling against the school board.
Ponder said the board had a tremendous plan to utilize the land, but feels “bureaucracy is getting in the way of doing what’s right.”
Ponder said long-term plans for the park included development of a wildlife management area especially for disabled hunters to use, an outdoor classroom to teach aspects of natural resource and environmental education, and an agri-science technical school for county students.
Additionally, Ponder said, plans included a demonstration treasure forest to be used in partnership with the Alabama Forestry Commission, a fishing lake, a green tree reservoir to attract waterfowl and teach wetland management and other uses.
Now with no development and little oversight over the annex, Ponder said several areas of the annex have been trashed with litter and junk. Ponder feels an even more pressing issue is the use of all-terrain vehicles and off-road trucks in the annex.
The vehicles are going off the roads of the annex and making their own paths through the woods, and in some areas are creating large mud holes so they can go mud riding. Ponder said the erosion and large ruts are bad for the environment and expensive and difficult to repair.
Residents in the Brecon community of Talladega have complained to the city and the county about the noise caused by the ATVs and how the ATVs sometimes leave the annex and use roadways outside the annex while traveling at high speeds.
Currently, Huie is considering proposals from other government entities to develop the annex land. The cities of Talladega and Lincoln are the only two government agencies that have officially submitted proposals.
“There has been interest from other entities, but nothing concrete has come from them,” Huie said.
Talladega Mayor Brian York said the city applied for the land several months ago and is waiting to hear back from the park service for a decision.
The main attraction Talladega would like to add to the area would be a large sports complex for the city, including softball, baseball, soccer and football fields. The complex also would contain a recreational lake and walking track.
Other possibilities involve a golf course; several walking, biking, equestrian and hiking trails; camping areas; a wildlife sanctuary; skateboard and rollerblade parks; and camping areas.
The igloos could be used as indoor archery or shooting ranges, meeting places for youth groups, storm shelters and other possibilities.
York said no decision had been made on if the city would run the park or bring in a third party to run it, should Talladega be awarded the land.
Huie said it was legal for private third parties to run park operations and make a profit as long as final control stayed with the government agency.
Lincoln Mayor Lew Watson said Lincoln also applied for the annex land several months ago.
“It’s something we’re interested in for a nice regional park,” Watson said. “We recognize there are a few different ideas out there, but we hope things fall our way and we can make this happen.”
Watson said he does not feel the location of the annex being closer to Talladega than Lincoln plays any factor in the decision, pointing out the city of Talladega owns the Talladega Municipal Airport, which is much closer to Lincoln than Talladega.
“We don’t see (the annex land) as only a local park. We see it as more of a regional facility,” Watson said. He wants to see the park have a broad appeal.
Lincoln’s plan includes fishing lakes, riding trails, walking trails, off-highway vehicle trails and facilities, primitive and upscale camping, hiking, biking, wildlife observation points and shooting ranges.
The plan would provide areas for Scouting use and Scout development, as well.
Huie said the county could still try to move forward with a park plan if it so desired. He said he is working on several projects at the moment and has no set date to cut off accepting applications for the land or a date he would make a decision on awarding the annex land.
Huie said he hopes whichever government agency gets the annex, it uses the land well.
“You’ve got a 2,832-acre park there that you haven’t been able to use for the past five years. There is no type of limitations of what they can do there,” Huie said.
