Partners
Partnership Background
Five Mile Creek, a major tributary to
the Black Warrior River, is one of the most polluted streams
in Jefferson County, Alabama
as a result of decades of industrial and agricultural land
use practices as well as urban stormwater pollution. In addition,
the stream adjoins urban and suburban areas with extensive
amounts
of impervious surfaces resulting in polluted stormwater runoff
and flash flooding. The stream is also included in the Greenway
SEP administered, for Jefferson County, by the Black Warrior – Cahaba
Rivers Land Trust (Land Trust).
The Five Mile Creek Greenway Partnership
formed as the result of a partnership between the Cities of
Tarrant, Fultondale, Birmingham,
Brookside, and Graysville, Jefferson County and the Land Trust,
CAWACO Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Council,
and the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPCGB).
The aforementioned partners are developing an overarching memorandum
of agreement that will bring cohesiveness to the multiple efforts
to implement a greenway corridor along Five Mile Creek.
About the Partnership
The Five Mile Creek Greenway Partnership is a coordinated partnership
effort intended to achieve the goals of improving water and air
quality by protecting streamside buffers and developing a greenway
corridor that encourages the development of adjacent bicycle
and pedestrian friendly infrastructure (alternative modes of
transportation). A master plan for Five Mile Creek will be developed
as a part of the long and short-range transportation planning
process while also providing a tool that presents a shared vision
for private and public funding sources and elected officials.
A formally adopted master plan will serve as a guideline for
future planning efforts within and adjacent to the greenway,
consistent design standards for trail and bridge construction,
best management practices (BMPs), identification of key points
of interest for recreation, stream restoration, nonnative plant
removal, preservation of critical habitat for wildlife, historic
preservation, and environmental education. The master plan will
be compatible with the Jefferson County Greenway Supplemental
Environmental Partnership (SEP).
Benefits of the Partnership
- Water quality improvements as a result of stream
buffers and greenways.
- Potential wetland and stream mitigation/banking
projects within
the corridor.
- Potential means for improving air quality and
ensuring compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality
Standards through greenway
development.
- Additional incentives for transportation planning
organizations to support future transportation enhancement
projects.
- Potential for a 16.5 mile rail corridor as
rail-to-trail conversion within the project area.
- Potential catalyst
for ‘smart growth’ in the watershed
and model for other greenway projects.
View the Intergovernmental Agreement Establishing The Five Mile Creek Greenway Partnership
Francesca Gross took the position of partnership coordinator in August 2006. The position is supported by the Hugh Kaul Foundation. Prior to this position, Hilary Aten, a VISTA volunteer organized the partnership for 2 years until she moved on to graduate school in Austin, Texas. Any questions about the partnership can be directed to Francesca through the following contact information:
Francesca E. Gross
c/o Cawaco RC&D Council
1731 1st Avenue North, Suite 200
Birmingham, Al 35226
205-226-6484
fgross@rpcgb.org
Partners in the Project:
Birmingham, Edwin Revell, Dept of Planning and Engineering
Brookside, Mayor Roger McCondiche
CAWACO RC&D, Kellie Johnston, Operations Manager
Center Point, Mayor Tom Henderson
Fresh Water Land Trust, Wendy Jackson, Executive Director
Fultondale, Darryl Aldrich, City Building Inspector
Graysville, Mayor Doug Brewer
Jefferson County, Paul McCaleb, Department of Roads and Transportation
Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham, Tom Maxwell, Senior Environmental Planner
Tarrant, Billy Hewitt, Fire Chief
|
