By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – The Alabaster Police Department’s firing range in Limestone Park soon will see some upgrades, as the city is set to finalize an agreement allowing the Hoover Police Department to utilize the range for training purposes.

During an Aug. 7 Alabaster City Council work session, Alabaster Mayor Marty Handlon said the HPD recently approached the APD with a partnership proposal for the range, as the HPD previously conducted its training at a privately owned shooting range.

If the agreement is approved by the Alabaster City Council during an Aug. 14 meeting, the HPD would pay the city of Alabaster $13,000 up front, and would pay the city $18,000 each year in exchange for access to the range.

Through the agreement, HPD also would help to add a small indoor classroom on the range property, Handlon said.

The APD firing range is in a secure fenced-in area on the southwestern portion of Limestone Park, which is off U.S. 31 in southern Alabaster. Once completed, the small indoor classroom would be contained in the current fenced-in area surrounding the firing range.

Alabaster City Manager Brian Binzer said the APD is looking to finalize the partnership before the end of the 2017 budget year, which wraps up at the end of September.

Handlon said the HPD has already been working with the APD to use the firing range, but said the agreement would put the partnership in writing.

“They are looking forward to the continued partnership with us,” Handlon said.

The Alabaster City Council’s Aug. 14 meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at Alabaster City Hall.

If approved, the partnership would mark the latest development at Limestone Park, which currently houses a community garden, elevated birding trail and a remote controlled aircraft field. Alabaster is currently in the process of bidding out a project to construct a facility near the firing range to house the city’s garbage trucks once Alabaster starts its own garbage service in early 2018.