MOBILE, Ala. — A standing-room-only crowd turned out for a community input meeting on the future of the Perch Creek Parks project, with residents weighing in on how three waterfront areas should be developed.
The plan centers on three zones: Perch Creek, McNally Park, and Helen Wood Park, the latter paired with the Ziebach Waste Water Plant. Attendees reviewed early concepts for the sites and offered their own suggestions, jotting notes on maps and placing green stickers to mark ideas they liked and red stickers for those they did not.
Several residents spoke about the need for better infrastructure and improved access to the bay. One resident who lives near the site of the former sewage plant said the area deserves investment and more ways for neighbors to enjoy the water. A retiree who moved to Mobile six years ago said a beach that could be developed near McNally Park would be a welcome addition, noting the area’s growing kayaking community.
While much of the discussion was upbeat, some attendees voiced concerns. A lifelong Mobile resident said he wants the millions of dollars allocated for the project invested responsibly, and raised worries about litter and unauthorized encampments along the shoreline.
City officials have framed the effort as a chance to connect the parks to the rest of Mobile and open up scenic waterfront views for residents.