Good Hope OKs 33-acre purchase to expand park

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Good Hope City Council members Susan Eller, Maxie Jones and John Harris are seen with Mayor Jerry Bartlett (right) Monday night. (Christy Perry for The Cullman Tribune)

GOOD HOPE, Ala. – Great news out of the City of Good Hope this week as council members John Harris and Maxie Jones were both back Monday after being out with serious illnesses. Hearing everyone answer as present during the roll call resulted in an applause from City Clerk Christie Chamblee.

Said Jones, “Feels good to call everybody’s name, doesn’t it?”

With the full council back, Mayor Jerry Bartlett took the opportunity to propose the purchase of 33 acres connected to the City’s Municipal Park. The 33 acres would expand the park all the way to Deer Run Subdivision.

Bartlett said, “With the influx of people that we’re going to be having with people moving to Good Hope, I just think this 33 acres will be an asset to our park. It joins our pond. It joins our Municipal Park. Our initial plans, and we haven’t discussed it a lot, but our initial thoughts are that we might put some trails through it for bicycles and walkers and maybe put a centrally-located bathroom with a pavilion.”

Bartlett continued, “It’s something we can offer our citizens as we continue to grow. Somewhere to go and ride their bicycles, walk and do exercise. Over the years, eventually, I’d like to see something like Sportsman Lake (Park in the city of Cullman) where we have a few pavilions that people use.”

With acreage the City is selling along County Road 437 for a project that has yet to be officially announced, Bartlett said the City is in great shape financially for the purchase of the land.

The 33 acres was appraised at $220,000 and the City is selling 3 acres along County Road 437. Once the money from the sale is collected, said Bartlett, the City will owe just $47, 870 toward the park’s expansion.

The council voted unanimously to approve the purchase of the property.

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