Residents of Shelby County have known for years that it is a wonderful place to live, but these days we have even more than usual to be excited about.

Shelby County Manager Alex Dudchock presented the annual State of the County address hosted by the Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Oct. 25, at the Pelham Civic Complex, highlighting several projects begun or completed during the previous fiscal year.

The projects include the BMX track at Oak Mountain State Park, the largest state park in Alabama, being lengthened from 900 feet to about 1,100 feet.

Upgrades at the facility also included rebuilding and asphalting the turns, improving the concessions and bathrooms, adding additional lighting and improving fences.

Also at OMSP, Beaver Lake improvements included three new piers, two beaches, a sand volleyball court, sidewalk and fish habitat.

Sand volleyball courts will also be installed at Pelham City Park. The project will include two outdoor basketball courts, a pavilion, parking and trailhead connector.

In Alabaster, the city is partnering with the county to construct a pavilion for the drone field/course at Veteran’s Park.

The county also has an agreement with Alabaster City Schools to add lighting, public seating and restrooms in the new high school track and field complex. The county will have access for the interior athletic field, which will meet NCAA lighting regulations for soccer and lacrosse, to host sporting events.

Given Shelby County’s strong foundation and continued effective leadership, it’s no surprise the county was ranked among the top 50 best counties to live and raise a family in America by Niche.com.

The county also came in at No. 35 out of 2,770 counties ranked for the “Best Counties for Families in America” list.

The website based its rankings on multiple factors, including each county’s cost of living, quality of housing, public schools, diversity and crime rates.

An anonymous review from a current resident quoted in the rankings sums it up best: “The small towns of this county are all different, but they all have the same goal of being better and providing for the community.”

 

Stephen Dawkins is a staff writer for the Shelby County Reporter. He can be reached at 669-3131 ext. 524 or by email at stephen.dawkins@shelbycountyreporter.com.