ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
The newly-appointed members of the Environmental Committee's Knoll Park Sub-committee met Friday for the first time to organize and discuss a proposed perimeter hedge and buffer around the property.
Peggy Dyson, Tom Ellis, Bobby Green and Mary Parker attended and well as city horticulturist Fidler, councilman Mike Ford and two members of the full environmental Committee: Jeanine Normand and Mike Skelton.
After a lengthy discussion, those present decided they should wait to elect a chairman and establish by-laws and other committee procedures until more members can be appointed by the city council: there are currently five members, but there are four vacancies. They were unsure if those present constituted a quorum.
Fourteen applications have been submitted and are awaiting evaluation; the committee indicated they would like to take part in the selection process for the new members.(They also discussed how they were to operate under the full Environmental Committee, but no firm conclusion was reached.)
Councilman Mike Ford said he thought the sub-committee could be expanded to accommodate the large number of applicants: He said he thought anyone who had an interest should be allowed to participate.
He agreed to bring the matter up at Monday's council meeting.
PERIMETER PLAN DISCUSSED
Several members present said they had expected to review the plan drawn up (as directed by the city council) by local landscape architect Joe Comer for a segmented buffer-hedge around the park's perimeter, but were told by horticulturist Fidler the mayor and some council members (Boone, Mueller) were still reviewing it -- and had some objections.
The mayor had directed Fidler not to bring the plan to this meeting; he wanted some input from the committee before doing so.
Fidler said concerns included that there should be more flowering evergreens, like azaleas, around the border -- as well as a wider open green-grass border. They also objected to a sandstone wall feature -- because of costs involved.
She also said they wanted to go ahead and "weed eat" the perimeter of the park up to about 100 feet. Dyson said it should be done below the "flower stalks"; but Green warned doing so at this time may inhibit the regeneration of the wildflowers.
The mayor also asked the committee to give suggestions about types of perimeter plants that may be used -- as well as a list of "understory trees" to be used throughout the park.
One councilman (Boone) had suggested using traditional Pride of Mobile azaleas, but Dyson thought they may grow too big -- and block the view of the park's interior.
Bobby Green thought it would be difficulty for the committee to proceed without first seeing the plan that had been proposed by Comer; and said he thought the understory trees were beyond the scope of the committee's mandate from the council.
Mary Parker thought the committee should think about suitable perimeter plants for its next meeting.
GENERAL DISCUSSION
Member Ann Nix said she thought more regular flower beds should be installed -- especially at the corner of Magnolia and Fairhope Ave -- to bring in more color and make it look more like the rest of town.Nix: "... people are unhappy with it ... they want color ... want the park to look pretty ... just like our town ... ."
Normand suggested considering traditional flower boxes around the property to add color.
Fidler said she had been trying for the past year to come up with an acceptable compromise: "You've got two different rules of thought ... one group that wants it all natural the way it is now ... (another) group that wants it more formal ... a traditional park ... . I've tried to come up with something in the middle ... to make everybody happy."
Mike Skelton agreed, calling it a challenge: "... some of the wants (people have) don't necessarily overlap ... ."
Dyson also thought it would be better for the committee to see the written landscape plan first: "We need something on paper ... to get to do what they did ... say yes, no, yes, no ... something to work with."
She said the perimeter plants were a "different outlook" from what the project started out to be, six years ago.
The committee also discussed continuing controlled burns, now or possibly this summer -- and methods of directing smoke away from the neighborhood.
Nix said she thought "people don't want it burned."
Update: Councilman Ford did bring the matter up at the next council meeting, but it was decided to wait 2 more weeks to make additional appointments to the committee.
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