By By Robbie Byrd, News Editor
A short meeting between city officials accomplished much last Friday, as city leaders and developers met to nail down plans for nearly $2,000 worth of improvements to Houston-Avery Park.
Members of the Concerned Citizens of Atmore group applied and received a grant from the Gulf Coast Resource Conversation and Development Council to correct erosion problems and improve drainage on and around the parks walking trail.
"We're going to fix some problems with gulleys, drainage and just make it easier and safer," said Charlie Ramsey, coordinator for the Gulf Coast RC&D.
On hand to discuss plans for the project included CCA president Wayne Gray and his wife Sandra, City Building Inspector Allen Nix, County Commissioner Wiley Tait, National Resource Conservation Service representative Detra Boutwell and CCA member the Rev. Willie Hawthorne.
While plans are not complete, the group worked out responsibilities for the task at hand.
"There will need to be a lot of in-kind services provided by the city and the county for this to happen," Ramsey said. "We'll all work together."
Gulf Coast RC&D is a program that provides state appropriations and grants, as well as planning and development, for community projects such as the one underway at Houston-Avery park.
The group has not yet set a start date for the work to begin, but Tait said it should start soon.
"Hopefully we can get some overrun (of materials) from some current county projects," Tait said. "Depending on our time frame, we can supply some equipment and labor from the county."
Tait said that crews are busy repairing bridges, like the one at Airport Road just outside of Atmore, but said that those projects should be complete soon, freeing up costly equipment and labor.
Hawthorne said the group is looking for volunteers to help with construction once the project gets underway.
"We can use any help," he said. "We will advertise more when we're going to be here working."
For more information on the project, contact Gray at 368-6103 or Hawthorne at 368-5289.