“The community meeting is part of the process to qualify for a $50,000 ADECA grant for renovations and construction to the marina, park property and restroom facilities,” Mayor Rusty Jessup said. “Any local residents who have ideas are welcome to attend the meeting and share their ideas.”
The community meeting is at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 12, at Town Hall.
Jessup said the town recently purchased the old D & S Marina on Depot Street across from Town Hall. The town received a $99,500 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant toward the purchase of the marina, and the St. Clair County Commission helped with a big portion of the remainder of the $310,000 purchase price.
“Our grant writer, Kelley Keeton, will be at the community meeting to gather information from local residents,” he said. “She will be putting together our architectural rendering and our 5-year plan for the marina and park.
Jessup said the 5-year plan and community meeting are requirements of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs grant. The town should know if it has received the ADECA grant in March or April.
“We want input from our local residents anyway, because this marina and park is theirs,” he said.
Jessup said he has already received quite a bit of feedback and suggestions for the marina.
“Quite a few of our local fishermen have made suggestions on how to make the marina better for fishing tournaments,” he said. “We think the marina will make a great fishing tournament site.”
Jessup said one of the suggestions is to put a tube slide or chute next to the weigh-in table that connects directly into the water.
“That way the fishermen can release the fish directly back into the water after they have qualified or been weighed-in,” he said. “It will help save more fish to get them back into the water more quickly. We want ideas like that, ideas that benefit the fish as well as our fishermen.”
Jessup said he has also received suggestions on how the marina should look, such as the color of the roof and façade.
“We don’t want the marina to stick out like a sore thumb,” he said. “We want it to blend in with the neighborhood.”
Jessup said other items for discussion include placement of the public restrooms, camping site, and parking areas.
“We want to make sure everything is user friendly and family friendly,” he said. “We have had suggestions of putting in a public water fountain, and a small playground area, but we have to see what space is available. We want maximum usage of the space we have.”
Jessup said the town is also looking for a vendor or entrepreneur to lease and operate the store on the marina property.
“Once we get the marina and park up and operating, I think there will be plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurs for canoe and kayak rentals, camping and fishing gear, river exploration clothing, and much more,” he said.
Jessup said the marina will be part of the Alabama Scenic River Trail, which has more than 631 miles of navigable river trails through Alabama.
“There is a lot going on, and we are excited about it,” he said. “The community meeting is the next step in the process, and we are hoping for good input from our local residents.”
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