Community Leaders Celebrate First Phase of Brow Park Improvements

Town officials, state legislators and community development leaders gathered at Brow Park Sept. 22 for a ribbon-cutting celebrating the first phase of improvements to the popular Mentone overlook.

Mayor Rob Hammond joined Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, state Sen. Steve Livingston, DeKalb County Economic Development Authority Executive Director Brett Johnson, and representatives of Yellowhammer Outdoor Development and Alabama’s Resource Conservation and Development network to recognize the work and the partnerships behind it.

The project combined $15,000 in seed funding from Yellowhammer with a $35,000 RC&D grant to clear overgrown space below the brow and prepare it for further recreational use. RC&D, the Resource Conservation and Development, is a network of nonprofit councils that helps communities identify needs and fund projects. Alabama’s nine councils serve all 67 counties, supporting efforts ranging from outdoor recreation to public safety.

For Speaker Ledbetter, the improvements demonstrate what can happen when a community builds on its strengths.

“I think it opens up more doors,” he said. “It creates an opportunity for people to visit and experience the beauty of this community in a new way.”

He credited local leadership and residents with making the most of the park’s potential.

“The mayor, the town council, and the community have really done a good job expanding on what they had,” Ledbetter said. “This is just the first phase of this improvement project. I’m proud to support it, and look forward to seeing the future improvements.”

Clearing undergrowth, adding rock work, and planting new grass have transformed an area that had become covered with vegetation over time. Hammond, who has known the mountain for decades, said the difference is striking.

“I’ve seen this view, but I’ve never seen it like this,” he said.

The improvements are already attracting more local residents. “The traffic of local folks has increased since we’ve done this,” Hammond said. “Everybody enjoys it.” He said the park will also give visitors another reason to enjoy Mentone.

Discussions about broader improvements began well before the clearing. In fall 2024, Hammond showed the park to Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs Director Kenneth Boswell and his staff, outlining possibilities for an observation deck, hiking trail, and restrooms.

The project gained momentum when Yellowhammer representatives visited DeKalb County to scout potential outdoor recreation sites. At Brow Park, they saw an opportunity to reclaim the shelf below the overlook and approached the town about putting available funding to work.

Yellowhammer is the statewide initiative of the nonprofit North Alabama Trails and Recreation. It helps communities plan outdoor projects, secure funding, and coordinate the work. Executive Director Jared Carter and team member Christy Cochran led the Brow Park effort.

Carter said funding received through Innovate Alabama allowed the organization to provide $15,000 for an initial clearing pass. That investment helped attract the additional $35,000 RC&D grant, bringing the total grant funding to $50,000. Neither grant required matching funds from the town.

Drayton Cosby, who works with the statewide RC&D association on government affairs and program development, said volunteer boards help identify and consider local projects. Brow Park fit the organization’s outdoor recreation work, leading the council to support the project and approve the funding request.

The effort also depended on people willing to contribute beyond the funded work. Local contractor Alex Watters completed final clearing and rock placements, donating additional time and equipment when the available money ran out. The town hired Al Blackburn to hydroseed the cleared ground.

Yellowhammer staff worked by hand around the rocks and walls. Volunteers, including students from a Jacksonville State University outdoor education class, helped remove discarded glass and prepare the area for its next use.

For EDA’s Johnson, investments in places such as Brow Park are part of building a stronger local economy.

“Our employers in DeKalb County tell us we need to focus more on attracting and retaining a quality workforce,” he said.

Recreation and community amenities can help prospective workers picture themselves making a home in the county, Johnson said. Beyond a job, people want to know what everyday life will offer, including places to spend time with their families.

“Anytime we can elevate any of our green spaces, we are making DeKalb County more competitive for economic development across the board,” he said.

Sen. Livingston pointed to the sunsets and relaxed atmosphere that already bring people to Mentone. The improvements, he said, give them another reason to spend time here.

More work remains ahead. Plans call for a wooded trail descending further down the slope, as well as an observation deck. These projects are dependent on the availability of funds.

Ledbetter commended the Mentone community for the partnerships and hard work that made the park expansion a reality. “My duties in the legislature take me across the state,” he said. “But it’s always special to come back home and be part of great things happening here in DeKalb County.”