FAIRHOPE – The Fairhope City Council will go forward with plans to consider land east of US 98 for a municipal park despite objections from the mayor and some residents.
The council voted Wednesday night to hire Equity Valuation Partners to appraise a site being considered as a park. Council President Jack Burrell said the city has not decided to buy the property, but needs to determine the value if a purchase is considered later.
“We are simply having an appraisal done on that land to make certain that if we do move forward on that that we get a value and we are being good stewards of the people’s money,” Burrell said.
Mayor Karin Wilson said a site that was recommended by the National Park Service off Twin Beech Road west of Greeno Road would be much better for the city and residents.
“This property is not picked because of a price per acre. This property was picked because of a bigger plan. It’s for connectivity, walkability. It’s about the quality of life that we enjoy,” Wilson said. “There’s not much inventory this close to town. We have a lot of opportunity east of 98 and of course that property east of 98 is going to be cheaper. But the economic impact that this park would have located on Twin Beech in an underserved community would be transforming.”
Burrell said he supported buying the Twin Beech site, but that the price requested by the owner was too high.
“I was in total agreement. The whole council was unanimous in trying to purchase that and we asked you to go out and try to negotiate that and your negotiations resulted in a cost of 40 percent above appraised value,” he told Wilson.
Turning to the audience, he said city officials could not buy land priced that much above the appraised value. “The City Council is not in favor of spending your hard-earned money, your tax dollars above appraised value,” he said.
Councilman Jimmy Conyers also said the price was too high.
“That was too much,” he said. “If it was closer, maybe 5 or 10 percent over, but 35 to 40 percent above market value – we just can’t.”
Wilson said the price requested by the owner was similar to the price for a similar property in the area.
“We are talking about a once in a lifetime opportunity to get 40 acres of land that is walkable and as we grow out east, we’re going to buy more land, but you have to do things in an order of priority and under a bigger plan, which this was,” Wilson said.
Several audience members also said the Twin Beech site would be better for residents.
Corey Martin said the location would provide recreational facilities for young people in an area that does not have access to parks and sports now. He said many children in the area, particularly African American residents, do not take part in Fairhope sports because of that lack of opportunity.
