July 27, 2011 2:05 AM CST, by Sarah Massey, Ashley Chaffin and Jasmine Cannon
Forest Lake
By Sarah Massey
For residents of Forest Lake, the recovery over the last three months since the tornado has largely been focused on cleanup and planning for the future of the neighborhood.
Christine Dietsch, president of the Forest Lake Neighborhood Association, said there is a focus on keeping residents informed of what is going on in the larger planning process of the city and with Tuscaloosa Forward, as well as providing venues for residents to interact with city officials and those who will have an impact on the future of the neighborhood.
Dietsch said there have been “mixed reviews” by residents toward the plan put out by Tuscaloosa Forward because “there’s a level of uncertainty.” Many residents are concerned about what the future of Forest Lake will look like – unsure about what the surrounding area will be if they choose to rebuild now.
“Right now, the current focus is making it possible, and as easy as possible, for people who are in the process of rebuilding,” she said. “… Most people want to be able to know that if they rebuild, the empty lot next to them is not going to be a high-rise apartment building – of course that’s an exaggeration.”
Heather McCullar, a five-year resident of Forest Lake, is planning on staying in the neighborhood and said that she hopes Forest Lake remains primarily a residential area. She said that much of the focus of cleanup in the neighborhood has been tearing down houses and clearing lots so rebuilding can begin. She said there appear to be more residents staying than leaving and that morale is good.
“I think they’re frustrated with not being home, but I think they’re happy,” she said.
“People do want to come back,” Dietsch said. “People are pretty adamant about ‘I want to come back, I want to stay here, and I have a stake in this.’”
She stressed the importance of addressing people’s concerns within the neighborhood and providing people with as much information as possible throughout the rebuilding process. One venue where concerns will be expressed and information exchanged is at the Forest Lake annual meeting on Aug. 11 at 5:30 p.m. at the Forest Lake United Methodist Church. City officials will be present.
“I think that Forest Lake is so critical to the life of the city of Tuscaloosa that a lot of focus will be on Forest Lake,” Dietsch said. “… I see the character of Forest Lake remaining primarily residential, but I also think that there’s a lot of room for innovation, successful innovation that can serve as a model for what can happen in Tuscaloosa for the future.”
Rosedale
By Ashley Chaffin
The Rosedale community was directly in the path of the April 27 tornado as it pummeled through Tuscaloosa, taking almost everything with it. After the tornado had passed, what was left of the brick housing community was almost unrecognizable, except for a few walls left standing.
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