Another option comes forward for senior center

Faith Promise offers Mariner Pointe as landing site

October 23, 2019 by Ken Leinart

Anderson County Mayor Terry Franks was asked to do a sort of “fact finding” mission Monday night.

The County Commission voted to allow Frank to enter discussions, negotiations, talks with the city of Clinton about the old Clinton Armory, and Faith Promise Church about its Morning Pointe Campus, as possible locations for a senior citizens center.

Clinton has offered the old armory as a possible location and has authorized City Manager Roger Houck to approach the county and offer the site as an option. The city is offering to lease the old armory at $1 per year and will negotiate the cost of upgrading the facility.

Upgrades may include the kitchen area and bathrooms, and making the building ADA compliant. But all of that is speculation until the building is actually appraised and inspected.

Another possible site for a senior center has popped up recently — the Faith Promise Church Mariner Pointe Campus has been offered to the county for about $500,000.

The building has been appraised from $800,000 to more than $1 million — depending on who is asked.

Both sites have perceived drawbacks.

The old armory would only be available for 11 months of the year due the city’s long-term lease with the Anderson County Fair Association. The senior center would not be in operation in July if it moved there.

Also, the old armory will not be available for 18 months, at least, while Roane State Community College houses the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT). A new TCAT facility is being built at Anderson Crossing.

As for the Faith Promise property, well … It gets complicated.

Third District Commissioner Denver Waddell voiced a concern the property at Mariner Pointe was too far away for his constituents.

“We don’t need to be moving to closer to Oak Ridge,” he said.

Seventh District Commissioner Theresa Scott said the residents of Mariner Pointe subdivision had doubts about a senior center going in at that location as well.

“They don’t want a senior center there,” she said. “Some are even glad to see the church move.

“What they (Mariner Pointe residents) want is a grocery store.”

The shadow of 205 Main Street was lurking in the background as well.

Commissioners want all the facts, figures, estimates … Any and everything. And they want it in writing.