Public input sought on Honeybee Park upgrades

By John Underwood / john@gulfcoastmedia.com
Posted 9/27/16

ROBERTSDALE, Alabama — A series of meetings will be scheduled in October to solicit public input on long-range plans to make improvements to Honeybee Park in Robertsdale.

The Robertsdale City …

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Public input sought on Honeybee Park upgrades

Posted

ROBERTSDALE, Alabama — A series of meetings will be scheduled in October to solicit public input on long-range plans to make improvements to Honeybee Park in Robertsdale.

The Robertsdale City Council voted at its regular meeting Sept. 19 to set up three public hearings, Oct. 17 and 20 beginning at 6 p.m. and Oct. 22 beginning at 9 a.m.

At a work session in June, architects from Adams-Stewart met with city council members presenting five plan options for park improvements.

Plans call for the addition of parking, restructuring of sidewalks and landscaping of the park, along with the addition of central features, such as a pavilion and playground area.

One of the main features will be a 500-seat amphitheater which will be placed in the current location of the city’s utilities barn with plans to move the barn to property the city owns north of the Robertsdale Police Station on East Chicago Street.

Based on the council’s input, three options will be presented for public input, said an Adams-Stewart representative at the Sept. 19 meeting.

Large printouts of the three options will be displayed for viewing and chairs will be set up around tables for group input, said Mayor Charles Murphy.

Plans are to have the improvements in place by the city’s centennial celebration, which will be in 2021.

In other business, the council voted to solicit material bids on distribution system upgrades and begin the advertisement cycle for electrical system upgrades.

At its Sept. 6 meeting, the council approved bids for sub-station material elements for electrical system upgrades.

On Sept. 19, the council solicited bids for material items for the 4kv conversion and material for the distribution system upgrades, which will cost an estimated $1.4 million of the $4.3 million project.

Bids would be opened on Oct. 13 for approval by the council at its Oct. 17 meeting.

In other business Aug. 19 the council:

•Donated $500 to the South Baldwin Center for Technology FFA Chapter for students to attend the 2016 National FFA Convention and Expo Oct. 18-22 in Indianapolis, Indiana. A motion by council member Ruthie Campbell to increase the amount to $750 died for lack of a second.

•Agreed to advertise the semi-annual Robertsdale United Methodist Church’s Quilt Show in February on the city’s digital billboard.

•Donated $500 to the Robertsdale High School BEST Robotics Team to attend competition.

•Approved a request to surplus a 2003 F-150. Murphy said he would contact local schools about the use of a table and four chairs and the city could donate those items rather than surplussing them.

•Donated $3,500 for the Robertsdale High School basketball team’s annual Thanksgiving Tournament.