Irondale holds public hearing on $1 million LWCF grant for civic‑center grounds; PBA to submit application

Mayor James D. Stewart Jr. opened a public hearing Tuesday to discuss applying for roughly $1 million in Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant money to add recreational amenities to the land around the Irondale Civic Center.

The mayor said the grant opportunity would require a 50% local match and that "we already have budgeted $18,000,000 to be able to do renovations at the Civic Center." He said the application would be submitted by the PBA because the PBA owns the land and the city leases it.

The proposed grant-funded improvements under discussion included a splash pad, pickleball courts, a mountain‑bike track, a jogging trail, and a 1,500‑seat amphitheater, along with other recreation elements drawn from the city’s earlier public planning efforts. "This public hearing has nothing to do with the design of the building. What it does have to do with is that there's a million dollars that's sitting out there for a grant opportunity," the mayor said.

Speakers at the hearing generally supported pursuing outside funding to improve recreation options and local quality of life. Catherine Hogwood, identified in the record as a resident of Creekside Glen, thanked the council and linked the grant to local economic development: "There are numerous Alabama programs right now...that show the importance of outdoor recreation to improve the quality of life for our residents and to attract new residents and new businesses to our city." Hogwood referenced state initiatives aimed at recruiting businesses that value outdoor-recreation access.

Several citizens used the public hearing to raise design and health concerns. Mary Sherr, who said she had been looking for guidance on artificial turf, cited material-safety warnings from the Trust for Public Land: "There is PFAS in artificial turf...the top fibers, the grass can have lead and chromium. So I just suggest that maybe we have it tested." Judy Wilson recommended including community gardening among possible uses of the site.

The mayor and council emphasized that the public hearing was intended to document community sentiment for the grant application; he and staff also noted prior city planning processes (including the park master plan and the Blueprint Irondale public input process) as the source of many proposed amenities. The mayor said the city had already budgeted funds for civic‑center renovation and that the grant would reduce the city’s overall cost.

At the close of the hearing staff circulated an attendance/support form the grant process requires and asked those present to indicate whether they supported the application. No formal council vote on the grant application is recorded in the meeting minutes; the mayor said the PBA would submit the application.

Ending: The council closed the public hearing by motion and returned to the regular meeting. Council members and staff said they plan further public outreach; the mayor indicated a future presentation of the park master plan for the community.