City officials and community members met at Central High School Tuesday to discuss the rebuilding proposal of the tornado-ravaged 15th Street and McFarland Boulevard area.
The meeting, the second of a weeklong series, was held in an effort to display the beginning stages of planned development of this area to the residents and gather their input.
The designers produced an outline for specific zoning to the McFarland and 15th Street area after taking recommendations for bike paths and an overall pedestrian-friendly area. These zones will include village centers, neighborhoods and mixed-use developments that combine shopping, recreation, business and living quarters. The team used cities such as Atlanta and Charleston, S.C., as models.
“During the summer community meetings, repeated comments took on synergy and developed into a plan,” said Kim McMurray, a consultant from WSV Architects for the Tuscaloosa Forward team. “Hopefully, these new improvements can serve to unite students and families into a community that spans all ages. It will be a win-win situation where everyone can cohabitate together.”
Marcia Hay-McCutcheon, a Tuscaloosa resident and associate professor of communicative disorders at the University, lost the roof of her house and sustained significant damage during the April 27 tornado; however, she remains positive about the rebuilding of the city.
“I really like the planning and development so far,” Hay-McCutcheon said. “The pedestrian zones and bike paths will make the area very family-friendly. I am happy living where I am, but if I receive a substantial offer for my property for the rebuilding efforts, I would gladly move.”
However, other residents are less enthusiastic.
Terry and Marie Smith lost two rental houses during the storm, killing three of its residents. They want to rebuild their properties, but the long process is proving almost too much to bear.
“We’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting,” Terry said. “First, they told us August; then, they said Thanksgiving. Now, the deadline for a definite plan is between January and March. We are stuck waiting.”
Frustration was obvious among the business owners near the commercial 15th Street and McFarland Boulevard intersection and the homeowners in the neighborhoods behind.
“Having to lose a home and rebuild is frustrating and devastating,” said Robin Edgeworth, incident commander of the Tuscaloosa Forward team. “If anyone didn’t seem frustrated, I would have blinders on.”
The first meeting on Monday night focused on Alberta and was considered a success to the members of the Tuscaloosa Forward Plan, the team in charge of the planning. Eighty-six citizens attended the event and provided detailed suggestions to improve the city’s rebuilding and revitalization process.
Tuscaloosa Forward, led by Almon Associates, Inc., is comprised of city officials and engineering, architectural and technological consultants. After the community meetings this past summer in which residents voiced their opinion on the necessities of their communities, the team collected the ideas into a detailed design to utilize each affected area.
Community meetings will continue this week on Wednesday, Nov. 30, for the Rosedale and 10th Avenue area and on Thursday, Dec. 1, for the Forest Lake area, both from 4 to 7 p.m.
The week of Jan. 23 will be the next series of area meetings in which residents further critique more detailed plans. However, these meetings leave citizens wondering how long this process will be drawn out.
“How long are we going to have to wait?” Smith said. “We still don’t have any plans. When are things going to change?”
