Northport adventure park plans have some residents miffed

May 16, 2023

Mary Barron,

A multi-million dollar adventure park is in the works for Northport, but some residents say they’re not happy with the proposed plans.

At Monday’s Northport City Council meeting, several residents were present and urged the council to table discussion on rezoning 150 acres of city-owned land purchased in 2021 between Rose Boulevard 70th Avenue.

Those residents said the location of the proposed park is in a largely residential area and an increase in traffic and noise would disturb those who live there.

If their requests are ignored, resident Kirk Patterson said he’s considering other measures.

“We will be looking at legal action to try to prevent this from happening from here on out,” Patterson said. “The council has made some decisions that they shouldn’t make, in my opinion and the opinion of a lot of others. And it’s pretty obvious that the council doesn’t care what the citizens say.”

The council moved ahead and approved the second reading for the rezoning during the meeting.

Northport City Council President Jeff Hogg said this project, alongside a major expansion at Kentuck Park and a water park being built on U.S. Highway 82 near the Tractor Supply Co. and Big Lots, have been in the works for years and will be a major boon for the city as a whole.

Plans for the park, unveiled several months ago, include zip lines, hiking trails and a pump track — a dirt-based racing course for BMX and mountain bikes.