Project ID Number is 234

A. General Information Suggestion State:
Entity/Sponsor: City of Mobile, AL Organization Website: http://www.cityofmobile.org
Contact Name: Keri  Coumanis Title: Assistant City Attorney
Contact Address: P.O. Box 1827
Mobile, AL   36633
Phone Number: 251-208-7272   Email: coumanis@cityofmobile.org
Suggestion State: Partially Funded Suggestion Date: 3/9/2015
B. Project Classification - Primary Ecological/Environmental (Including Water Quality)
C. Project Classification - Secondary
D. Project Information
Project Name: Expansion of Helen Wood Park and Preserve
Project Location: Near mouth of Dog River at Mobile Bay, City of Mobile
Project State(s):
AL
County(s):
Mobile
Watershed/Basin: Dog River Watershed Latitude: 30.575010 Longitude:   -88.081317
E. Project Description This project is part of the City's Bay Shore Habitat Acquisition and Conservation Initiative, which aims to preserve the remaining undeveloped properties on the City's bay shore, restore and conserve priority habitats, connect the community to our natural surroundings and foster an overall environmental ethic. Phase 1: Land Acquisition. Land acquisition by the City of Mobile of up to +40 acres of bay shore property (former MAWSS wastewater treatment plant and adjacent properties) in the Dog River Watershed, for purposes of environmental restoration and conservation of coastal resources. Contiguous bay shore properties to the south, down to the City's Helen Wood Park on the mouth of Dog River, are undeveloped and publicly-owned (ADCNR). Land acquisition will allow restoration, consolidation and intact preservation of the City's southern-most stretch of remaining undeveloped bay shore properties, remove incompatible development pressures on priority habitats (see NOAA Habitat Priority Planner, Mississippi-Alabama Habitats Tool at http://habitats.disl.org/) and connect the community to natural spaces in an underserved part of the City. Acquisition of this land by the City will allow shoreline alignment of the proposed regional Crepe Myrtle Trail under development by Mobile United with planning assistance from the National Parks Service (NPS), which would connect this preserved property to existing City parks (Helen Wood, McNally, Bay Shore) and proposed preserve projects at Perch Creek (City of Mobile, Peninsula of Mobile), Brookley Bayfront (MBNEP), and Three Mile Creek (City of Mobile, others). Phase 2: Site Remediation. Phase 2 of this project would raze the abandoned wastewater treatment infrastructure, conduct environmental testing, and perform any environmental remediation that may be needed to facilitate restoration of the acquire land to a natural state. Phase 3: Site Planning and Implementation. Phase 3 would involve planning, design and implementation, providing habitat preservation, public access to preserved areas for passive recreation uses (including planned linkage to the regional Crepe Myrtle Trail), resources for environmental education, and long-term stewardship. The City will coordinate with and build upon planning and development efforts on Mobile's coastal Peninsula by the USEPA, Auburn University, NPS, and numerous local community and environmental advocacy groups.
F. Water Quality Projects and Ecological Benefits
G. Resiliency Considerations (Ecological; Social-Ecological; Social; Socio-Economic and/or Community Resilience)
H. Project Status
Property/Resource Acquisition:
Current Landowner or Holder of the Easement: 		Land currently owned by MAWSS and Univ. of South Alabama Recent Appraisal? No
Project Planning/Design: Not Started Project Permitting
No Permits
Project will take   1  Months to Begin and an additional  48  Months to Complete
Can be implemented in phases? Yes
PhaseCost
Phase 1: Land Acquisition$800,000.00
Phase 2: Site Remediation$1,000,000.00
Phase 3: Site Planning & Implementation$460,000.00
Is this project included under a regional or statewide plan/initiative? Yes
If so, list: MBNEP's CCMP, Dog River WMP (NFWF funded 2014); Crepe Myrtle Trail
Project Feasibility and Likelihood of Success:
Leveraging/Complementary Projects:
I. Project Cost
Estimated Cost: $2,380,000.00 Maintenance/Operational Cost: $120,000.00
Nature of Cost: Land stewardship, adaptive management of resources Sources for Funding Costs: City Appropriations for Park Maintenance
Level of Confidence: Medium New business startup or expansion? No
Basis/Method of Estimation: Tax record data and projected planning, design and implementation costs based on similar efforts
Matching Funds Available:
No Matching Funds
Project Partners:
OrganizationInvolvementContactTitleEmailAddressPhone Number
The Peninsula of MobileConsultation and Community OutreachDebi FosterChairthepeninsulaofmobile@gmail.com 158 Congress St.
Mobile, AL  36603		 251-377-4485  
The Nature ConservancyPlanning and CoordinationJudy HanerMarine & Freshwater Directorjhaner@tnc.org 56 Saint Joseph St., Ste. 1600
Mobile, AL  36602		 251-433-1150   103
Mobile UnitedPlanning and CoordinationKatherine PitmanDirectorkpitman@mobileunited.org 8 A St. Joseph Street
Mobile, AL  36602		 251-432-1638  
Alabama Coastal FoundationEnvironmental EducationMark BerteExecutive Directormberte@joinacf.org 250 Conti St.
Mobile, AL  36602		 251-990-6002  
J. Project Impact on Community
Community Need: This project will protect and conserve wetland and upland habitats, remediate abandoned WTP, and facilitate community connection to natural spaces. This project is part of the City's Bay Shore Habitat Acquisition and Conservation Initiative. Avoided Costs: Project implementation will reduce future costs of creek and floodplain restoration in the watershed, as well as reduce costs associated with degraded water quality in downstream areas/Mobile Bay.
Indirect Benefits: Increased public access, passive recreation, low-impact ecotourism, environmental education Environmental Benefits: Site remediation, habitat protection and conservation of coastal and wetland areas; improved water quality
Environmental Impacts: N/A Project Monitoring and Performance: Number of acres acquired, conserved and sustainably restored; Environmental education and passive recreation opportunities created.
K. Resource Benefit(s):
Benefit(s): Shellfish  |  Water Column  |  Birds  |  Terrestrial Wildlife   |  Sediment/Benthos  |  Reptiles/Amphibians  |  Shoreline  |  Fish  |  Vegetation  |  Recreational Use and Infrastructure 
Benefit State- or
Federally-listed Species? 		Yes If so, list: This project will improve water quality and have indirect beneficial impacts on multiple status species found in and around Mobile Bay, including migratory waterfowl. Direct benefits to status species will be determined during project planning and design (Phase 2).