Makeover for Hartselle park

May 04--Hartselle has new plans for an area of Sparkman Park where 30 pine trees were blown down in early April during a storm.

Straight-line winds reached a top speed of 33 mph during the early-morning hours of April 4.

Hartselle Mayor Don Hall said he viewed the land where many trees once stood as an opportunity to do something new. The city has plans to replace the trees with sturdier, hardwood trees. Another 35 to 40 pine trees that were damaged or made unstable were removed and will be replaced as well.

"We want trees that will add more color to the park in the fall and spring, and ones that will hold up better during bad weather," Hall said.

He said it's not uncommon for the pine trees in Sparkman Park, on Madison Street Southwest, to fall during bad weather.

"This is the second or third time that has happened during a storm, and the pine trees in that area are becoming sparse," he said. "Hardwoods have a better root system and can weather storms better."

Within two to three weeks, Hartselle Parks and Recreation will begin planting various types of hardwood trees, like Japanese maple, red bud, dogwood and oak.

The city is using the $17,000 it received from its insurance company, Alabama Municipal Insurance Corp., to cover the damages. The project includes rebuilding a park pavilion that was destroyed when a pine tree fell on it.

Hartselle Public Works is pitching in by grinding up the stumps and filling in the holes, said Frank Miller, parks and recreation director.

Rebuilding the pavilion will cost around $10,000, Hall said. Miller said construction will be completed by the middle of this month. The remaining funds will go toward buying the new trees.

The city sold 116 tons of fallen pine trees to Shaneyfelt Shavings in Eva for $27 per ton. The $3,151 profit will be put back into the park and used for upkeep, Hall said.

Briana Harris can be reached at 256-340-2440 or [email protected]. Follow on Twitter @DD_BrianaHarris.

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