New Aldridge Creek Greenway design moving forward, but money needed for construction

Strangers in their backyard????? I like that MS. Moon uses the word "extreme" so much. Seems fitting that some in south huntsville might be extremists. I think some of Ms. Moon' aggression might be tempered if she got out and exercised.

HUNTSVILLE, AL -- South Huntsville residents could be getting another pretty place to break a sweat.
Last week, the City Council hired the Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood engineering firm to design a 2.5-mile extension of the popular Aldridge Creek Greenway.

The walking/jogging/cycling path currently runs from Mountain Gap Road south to the Tennessee River -- about 3.5 miles. The new piece would follow Aldridge Creek from Mountain Gap north to Valley Hill Golf & Country Club.

All that's missing is money to build it.

Assistant City Planning Director Marie Bostick said Huntsville has not had any luck attracting a transportation grant to help cover the estimated $500,000-per-mile construction cost.

But city officials decided to go ahead and pay $108,000 to have the greenway designed so the project would be ready to go once money becomes available, she said.

City Councilwoman Sandra Moon said several Todd Mill Road residents whose homes back up to Aldridge Creek are "extremely unhappy" about the new greenway.

"They see it as strangers in their backyard," she said Thursday.

However, Moon said she thinks most people in her south Huntsville district support the proposed exercise path.

There are already 15 miles of paved greenway scattered across the Rocket City. Several more segments are under construction, including major extensions of the Indian Creek, Flint River and Little Cove Road greenways.

Officials hope to eventually connect the pieces to create an exercise loop around the city.

Huntsville's 2010 capital budget includes $250,000 for greenway construction, Bostick said.