Spring 2025 President’s Letter

Ray Estep

A few years ago, a local Eagle Scout donated his time to repair about 75 yards of path and landscape borders at Riverchase Baptist Church. He received his community service merit badge for doing this, but he also gave back to his community in a very meaningful way.

“Community service is all about giving back.” 

In May of 2024 the front page of the Hoover Sun included the headline, “A River Runs Through It” featuring the Cahaba River, and highlighting City of Hoover plans to expand the city parks and trail network while capitalizing on the miles of Cahaba River winding through it.  

At our February RRA board meeting, representatives of the Hoover Parks and Recreation Board presented a broader picture of this proposal. From the Cahaba Trailhead the plan is to continue behind the school, Arbor Hill and Chase Plantation. The original 1976 Riverchase Master Plan included 24 acres of flood plain and woods along the Cahaba, later named River Point Park, but never developed.  We asked that this parcel be include in the Cahaba River Master Plan.  

The maintenance and security for these parks and trails are the city’s responsibility, but there are plenty of opportunities for residents of Riverchase (as well as church groups, Boy Scouts, etc.) to ‘give back to the community’ as volunteers helping to keep our beloved river and its banks clean and environmentally safe.

Another big project for Riverchase in 2024 is the replacement of all the streetlights with LED fixtures. We met with the utility company and were able to work out a plan that allows us to pay monthly instead of the very large one-time payment initially proposed. It was a big win for the community.  

You asked for more transparency, so we set up an RRA Facebook page. Please go in and join it. We also have our liveinriverchase.com website, the CMA website, and the newsletter.

My three-year term of community service on the RRA board has come to an end. I sincerely appreciate the friends I’ve made on the board, with you in the community, and on the Beautification and Architectural Review Committees.  The new board is in place, and we will be led by a group of very talented neighbors-directors! It has been my pleasure as well to work with the City of Hoover on the Riverchase Lake dam restoration, Riverwalk CON, and now the River Point Park opportunity!  We are blessed to live in this place!   

Thanks for your time!           

-Ray Estep