The Crimson White Print Edition - March 28, 2024

2A
Although he bought the
shirts with his own money,
Jonathan Roberts said he is
not doing this for profit. He
said he is selling shirts for
$25 each.
Jonathan Roberts met
with a graphic designer who
created a University Beachthemed
shirt to poke fun
at the project. He said the
shirt sale has the potential
to raise around $1,500 for the
GoFundMe campaign.
Jack Roberts said he
appreciates the sense of
humor that these shirts
allow people to have as
they continue to fight
the development.
Kellen McQueen, a
District 5 resident and social
worker, started the petition
in January as a way to give
residents in her district a
voice and potentially stop
the land from being sold. She
said that anyone, including
nonresidents, can sign
the petition to show their
support.
“Even though the land has
been sold, not everybody got
an opportunity to speak at
the open hearing, and it gives
people another way to show
that they oppose University
Beach,” McQueen said.
McQueen said she would
have appreciated more
transparency from the City
Council. She said residents
have filed open records
requests but have not
received any documents so
far besides a traffic impact
study, which showed that
the roads surrounding the
proposed location of the
resort, including Harper Road
near the Flatwoods residential
community, are already
functioning over capacity.
Former Northport City
Council President and District
5 representative Jeff Hogg’s
recent resignation has led to
a vacant seat on the council
and Bobo being named
president.
Some residents worry Bobo
will continue to support the
partnership her predecessor
advocated for so strongly.
Jack Roberts said he
doesn’t view Bobo as an ally
in the fight to stop the
project development.
“Maybe she’ll surprise us,
but we’re not depending on
her for any substantial actions
to stop this,” Jack Roberts said.
As one of Bobo’s
constituents, Jonathan
Roberts said he thinks she
has the same attitude Hogg
did when it comes to ignoring
residents’ concerns.
Bobo told CBS 42 News
that she wishes people would
stop calling the resort a water
park because “it’s a resort
and a lifestyle change,” a
lifestyle change that many
community members
still have questions about
considering they were once
promised a small, 11-acre
water park.
Jonathan Roberts agreed
that this resort will be a
lifestyle change, but he said
the council didn’t consider
how this change would affect
the community, especially the
residential one surrounding
the development.
Bobo also told CBS 42 News
that her suggestion to those
who didn’t like the idea was
“to take another look at it and
meet with our staff and see
if there are things you don’t
understand.”
The council previously
voted to suspend the regular
proceeding rules, which
meant there would be no
second reading or discussion
two weeks later at the
council meeting.
Jonathan Roberts said
the regular proceeding rules
would have allowed more
time for discussion by giving
residents another two weeks
to talk with the council to
address any concerns
and questions.
“They’re still referring to us
as a handful of people who
are encouraging discord,”
news
continued from 1A — beach
An aerial rendering of the proposed University Beach water park in Northport. Courtesy of University Beach LLC.
Jonathan Roberts said.
“They aren’t recognizing us
as a group of citizens with
legitimate concerns.”
McQueen said Bobo has
an opportunity to mend
the broken relationship
between the council and its
constituents.
The city has followed
the standard appointment
procedure by opening the
application process for
residents in District 5 to
apply for the empty seat.
The council will then select
one of the applicants. If the
council does not appoint
someone within 60 days,
Gov. Kay Ivey selects the new
representative. However,
many residents, including
Jack Roberts and McQueen,
are calling on the council to
hold a special election.
Jack Roberts said that if the
council appoints someone
to the vacant seat, it would
be the second unelected
member on this particular
council, since Karl Wiggins
was appointed by Ivey to fill
the vacant District 3 seat
in 2023.
“This is a city council that
has completely lost the trust
and goodwill of the people
they represent,” Jack Roberts
continued from 1A — Evolve
Adel Fakhouri, a
spokesperson for LRC
Commercial, said that there
is a need for housing in
Tuscaloosa under $300,000
and that Watercress will aid
that.
“The condos will provide
great affordable options
for homebuyers who may
be interested in being an
owner in the great city of
Tuscaloosa,” Fakhouri said.
“We believe we can help
deliver great alternatives to
Some residents at Evolbe have to vacate their units by May 10. CW / Natalie Teat
renting in a beautiful and
upgraded community.”
The previous leasing price
for a three-bedroom, threebathroom
apartment at
Evolve ranged from $599-$729
per bedroom.
In comparison, a three-
said. “And I don’t feel like
putting another unelected
representative on this council
is going to do anything to
diffuse public mistrust
of them.”
Wiggins wrote in an
email statement to multiple
constituents, who have
inquired about a special
election, including McQueen,
that a special election would
cost the city between $40,000
and $50,000.
“That would be a wasteful
and irresponsible choice, in
my opinion, especially since
it would squander a fourth of
the remaining term for that
member,” Wiggins wrote.
However, Tuscaloosa
County Probate Judge Rob
Robertson said a special
election would cost the city
an estimated $13,625. The
county probate office assists
municipalities, like Northport,
with elections by providing
technical support, ballots,
machines, poll workers and
poll worker training.
Robertson said he doesn’t
know what information the
Northport City Council has
publicized, but $13,625 is the
estimated cost he gave the
council members and City
Administrator Glenda Webb.
bedroom, three-bathroom
condo at Watercress is
currently listed for purchase
at $259,000.
Watercress will feature a
pickleball court, a dog park
and upgrades to the pool.
Residents said that while
these amenities are nice, they
do not make up for all of the
other inconveniences they
have had to go through.
“They aren’t even really
changing our rooms,” Kimrey
said. “We’re getting new
paint and ceiling fans in
our bedrooms.”
On March 19, some
residents received an email
almost identical to the
original lease termination
email sent on Feb. 26, except
this email provided a later
required move-out date of
May 31.
Promptly, Jackson sent a
disregard notice, claiming
that the email was sent to
residents in error.
When constituents asked
Wiggins about this estimated
number that differed from
his $40,000-$50,000 estimate,
Wiggins responded on social
media claiming this number
was for a citywide election,
not a single district.
Even though the city is
giving developers only $20
million and 11 acres of land
for the project, McQueen and
other residents question why
the council is trying to be
financially conservative when
it has entered into a $350
million partnership that will
transfer 50% of all tax revenue
from the beach resort to
University Beach developers.
McQueen said residents
need to continue to email
their councilpeople and
other local government
officials regardless of which
district they live in. She said
residential areas, like the
Flatwoods neighborhood in
District 5, need to be safe
from rezoning.
“It isn’t just a Flatwoods
problem. It’s a Northport
problem,” McQueen said.
“The previous email sent
to you on February 26th
indicating that your lease
is being terminated on
May 10, 2024 is the correct
termination date,” the
email said.
The same day, flyers from
The Crimson Student Living,
another apartment complex
in Tuscaloosa, appeared on
some residents’ doors.
“Oh no! Did you receive
that email too?” the flyer
reads. “Whether you need to
move in immediately or in the
fall, The Crimson has a space
for YOU!”
Barberito said that before
the original lease termination
notice, he incorporated life
at Evolve into the rest of his
undergraduate career plan.
“I planned on living here
until I had to move out for
grad school,” Barberito said.
“This has completely changed
my mind about the whole
place.”
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