"I think it's great to have things named after just ordinary folks who worked hard and played by the rules," Waymon Burke told WAFF in late October. He was talking about his parents, Richard and Frances Burke. Owens Cross Roads is naming its first city park after them.
The park will sit along Highway 431 South in front of Redemption Church at 9512 Highway 431 S. It's planned around a pond that many people drive past without a second look. In its first meeting notes, the city's park board called that pond "a long-standing community fishing hole for generations."
The town didn't have a parks department to launch this project. Nearly every piece so far has come from a neighbor: the land, the cleanup, the fundraising letters and the bench sponsorships. The park is still in design, and the board is planning to build it in phases as the money comes in.
A park that started as a gift of land
The land came first. According to the park board's July 31, 2025 minutes, the Burke family, Waymon, Jan and Jason, donated the property to the city. Redemption Church planned to donate a small strip of its own land so the walking space would be even on both sides of the pond.
The rules came before the board did. On May 27, 2025, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 25-012, which sets rules and regulations for "Richard and Frances Burke Park." City Clerk Christie Eason told the council it was for the city's protection.
The pond matters beyond fishing. The board's notes say it feeds into Tarklin Branch, which they describe as a protected waterway. The Burke family described the park as a community space for "relaxation and passive recreation." The pond is for fishing and relaxing only. Swimming, wading and canoeing are not allowed.
"The property includes a pond that has been a long-standing community fishing hole for generations." Owens Cross Roads Park Board minutes, July 31, 2025
The people at the table are the town's own organizations
The board's first roster shows who is planning this park. Most seats belong to local groups, not hired consultants.
| Board member | Listed affiliation, July 2025 |
|---|---|
| Katie Arvidson | OCR Lions Club, elected chairman |
| Linda Hagood | Owens Cross Roads Homemakers |
| Lisa Townsend | Redemption Church |
| Blake Burns | Planning Commission |
| Dale Stone | Aquatic specialist |
| Waymon Burke | Family donor |
| Elizabeth Craig | City Council |
| Tony Craig | Mayor |
The same names show up in the work itself. Dale Stone is a local business owner who gave the city an estimate for the pond and bank work. The fundraising ideas that first night came from the board members. Stone suggested selling engraved bricks. Allison Callahan, a board member who was elected vice chairman that night, suggested having people or companies sponsor trees or flower beds. Linda Hagood asked whether restrooms could be added.
What the first grant actually paid for
In September 2025, the city announced a $6,901 grant from Alabama's Mountains, Rivers & Valleys Resources Conservation and Development Council. WHNT reported that the money would go to the Tarklin Branch Pond Trail and Ecological Restoration initiative, which covers cleanup and restoration of the pond and the area around it. Eason called it "a key milestone in our long-term plan to provide more recreational opportunities for our community."
The city got that grant on its second try. The July 2025 minutes record that the first application to the RC&D council was unsuccessful.
By the board's October 7, 2025 meeting, Stone had started cleaning up the pond with the grant money. Before-and-after photos were attached to the minutes. That same week, the board mailed more than 70 letters asking for support. They went to local and business owners, churches and other companies the city does business with. Waymon Burke contacted every bank in Hampton Cove and along Highway 431 about possible donations. The first commemorative brick orders had also started coming in.
The board had tried letters once before. According to the July 2025 minutes, letters went to local business owners the previous year asking them to sponsor benches, and one responded.
The gap between the grant and the estimate
Those early efforts look small next to the size of the full project. In WAFF's October 28, 2026 report, the park was still in design, with an estimated cost of $300,000 to $400,000. Mayor Tony Craig said the timeline depends on raising the rest of the funding.
Here are the figures from the city's own records next to that estimate:
| Item | Figure | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| RC&D grant, pond cleanup | $6,901 | WHNT, Sept. 2025 |
| Huntsville Utilities estimate to move power poles | about $55,000 | Park board minutes, Oct. 2025 |
| Seawall, per City Engineer Jake Roth | about $150,000 | Council minutes, Aug. 2026 |
| Full project estimate | $300,000 to $400,000 | WAFF, Oct. 2026 |
The first grant covers about 2% of the low end of the estimate. A seawall alone would cost more than a third of the high end. That's why the seawall decision matters so much. At the August 24, 2026 park board meeting, members noted that the design proposal left out the seawall and geotechnical work, and they asked whether either was needed.
City Engineer Jake Roth answered at the August 25 council meeting. He said he didn't expect geotechnical work to be needed because the park won't have the kinds of activities that require it. He called seawalls "very appealing, but very expensive." He also said the park can be built now and the seawall added later, "several years from now."
At the same meeting, the council approved Resolution 26-032, which authorizes a contract with RGS Civil Design LLC to design the park's infrastructure. Splitting off the seawall turns a cost that would have stalled the project into a later phase. The walking path and fishing access don't have to wait for it.
Mayor Craig has also pointed to help from outside the city limits. "The City of Owens Cross Roads has limited funding, so getting the state legislators involved helps us out immensely," he told WAFF.
What the plans include
The plans have grown since the first meeting. In July 2025, the Burke family's vision listed park benches, a walking path, a bridge and possibly a pavilion. The board also asked the city engineer what path material would meet ADA requirements. In October 2026, WAFF described the plans as a playground, a walking path, fishing access and a place for families to relax.
Some small pieces were already in hand by mid-2025. Signs with the safety rules, required by the city's insurance, had been ordered and received, and so had a dog waste station. The board had also requested a quote for building the bridge.
The decisions still on the board's list
The church's part of the land is now official. At the September 21, 2026 board meeting, the minutes recorded that the property "has been officially donated," with probate still to be handled by the clerk's office.
At that meeting, Roth went through the questions the design still has to answer. Most of them are about how a park fits next to a state highway:
- Where everything goes, meaning the overall layout of the park
- Header walls as an alternative, since seawalls are "very costly"
- Talking with the state about runoff onto the state right-of-way, and getting state right-of-way permits
- Parking, with the board setting a floor of at least 10 spaces
- Whether to move the driveway over a bit
- Moving the church sign out to the highway
- Choosing where Phase 1 starts
The last item answers the question most people along 431 will ask about the pond. The board is planning the park in phases, and Phase 1 hasn't been chosen yet.
Following along between now and the holidays
The park board meets in public. In September, members voted to move their regular meeting time from 6 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The October 27 City Council agenda lists the next park board meeting for November 30. The same agenda lists the city's 7th Annual Christmas Parade for December 12. The city notes that agenda details can change.
Minutes and agendas are posted in the city's Agenda Center. City Hall has handled the commemorative brick orders, and that program is one of the clearest ways a resident can put a name into the park itself.
If you'd like a longtime local's view of what's changing along the Highway 431 corridor, Alice Battle is glad to talk it through, whether or not a move is on your calendar. Schedule a consultation whenever it's useful.
