A long-awaited greenway project in the Halls community is being slowed by state bureaucracy and a complaint by the Tennessee Clean Water Network.
Knox County was prepared to take ownership of property
currently owned by TTC Halls, LLC in order to construct a portion of the Halls
Park-to-School Link greenway and to protect an important wetland area.
Unfortunately, wetland mitigation work on the property required by TDEC has not
been completed and TCWN has filed a letter of noncompliance with the TDEC
Division of Water Resources. That move effectively stops the greenway
project, just as an important state grant deadline looms on Sept. 30.
“If Knox County accepts the property from TTC Halls, we will
also have to accept responsibility for the wetland mitigation project and its
related problems, costs and required monitoring over the next several years,”
said Knox County Parks and Recreation Director Doug Bataille. “While we hate to
not move this project forward, we also feel that it would not be in the best
interests of the taxpayers to assume the responsibility for the mitigation
project and any potential problems that may arise from it.”
The cost to fix the issues outlined in the TCWN letter is
estimated to range from $20,000 to $75,000, but ultimately the final price tag
cannot be known at this time.
Although the portion of the greenway that would cross over
the TTC Halls property is just over 14 percent of the entire planned greenway,
by state regulation no portion of the Halls Park-to-School link can move
forward until the issue between TCWN, TDEC and TTC Halls is resolved.
“This greenway is an important and worthwhile project, and
it’s unfortunate that the 85 percent of the greenway that isn’t mired in
bureaucratic red tape can’t move forward because of these issues,” said Knox
County Mayor Tim Burchett. “I hope this problem can be resolved, and Knox
County can continue to move forward with the planned greenway in a timely
manner. In the meantime, I’ve asked Knox County Parks and Recreation to focus
on completing Clayton Park, which will be a great addition to our parks system
and should be open by the end of the year.”
2 comments:
I dunno. Seems to me like the folks to be upset with are the current owners who have not complied with the TDEC required wetland mitigation.
But maybe that's just me.
sounds more like incompetence from county leaders,,where is the oversite???, 5 years still not done and a deadline just pops up !,,duh. half a million in grant money lost,,heads should roll,,but only thier eyes will.
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