‘A teaspoon at a time’

‘Vision’ for South Clinton is not just about aesthetics

September 21, 2022 by Ken Leinart

You may not realize it, but the future dynamics of South Clinton are already here.

The “Clinton Downtown Vision, South Clinton Plan” was released last month.

It came after several months of meetings that asked for input from residents, businesses, and the Clinton City School System.

The “South Clinton Vision” is complex. The final document is a heavy read, with various zones: River, Vista, Residential, Gateway, and Hiway Drive.

And like the original Clinton City Vision, there is an anchor to build upon.

As complex as it is though, two — the “River Zone” and the “Vista Zone” — are well underway.

No matter where you look, who you ask, or what you expect, Aspire Park is going to be the anchor in the vision for South Clinton.

Aspire is a game-changer. The park is the “ringer” in a pick-up basketball game. It’s an anchor and it’s a tone-setter for the future of not just South Clinton, but the city as a whole.

A $6 million grant has already been approved for the sidewalks to connect Hiway Drive to the new Clinch River Bridge.

That link connects South Clinton to the walkways across the river — which will connect to the original Clinton Vision plan of connected walkways from downtown Clinton to South Clinton.

“That’s a big step,” Clinton city Councilman Loris Wilson said. “If there is a grant for this (the south Clinton sidewalks), then that’s a start.”

While the Clinton Vision concept had an anchor — historic downtown Clinton — South Clinton has an even bigger chip to throw into the mix: Aspire Park.

“That’s a big anchor,” Wilson said. “That’s a game changer.”

Clinton’s new dog park — a generous amount of acreage in South Clinton — is open. It’s seen as part of tie-in with Aspire to open a 300-plus-acre green space in South Clinton that ties in directly to a walkway across the river that will — if that part of the Clinton Vision comes to fruition — tie South Clinton to downtown with a 20-minute walk.

That’s the vision.

While South Clinton is closer than ever to being a part of Clinton’s growth, there are still some obstacles that are not within the city’s sphere of influence.

U.S. 25W (Clinch Avenue), the road heading from Clinton to Knoxville through Claxton, is a state highway, and is not an easy road to navigate when it comes to change.

You don’t do anything on a state highway without the Tennessee Department of Transportation giving you a thumbs-up.

TDOT is not the only would-be stumbling block. If you know South Clinton, then you know about the railroad. R.J. Corman is the latest owner of rail rights through Clinton, and a lot of those rights run through South Clinton.

Unlike the Clinton Vision concept, the South Clinton vision has a sense of urgency — and not because of Aspire Park.

A traffic light at Portwood Road is incorporated in the South Clinton plan, as well as a roundabout on 25W as drivers first come into the Clinton city limits via South Clinton.

The roundabout is designed to slow traffic as it comes into the city. The traffic signal is a safety measure for the school students.

For too long, students who live “across the tracks” in South Clinton were at the mercy of traffic on Clinch Avenue.

While the South Clinton Vision addresses that, it may be one of the most important aspects of the plan.

“I have five students who walk home from school and have to cross Clinch Avenue every day,” South Clinton Elementary School Principal Leighann Bonesteel said.

“And every day we send up a prayer they’ll get home safely. Our SRO (school resource officer) wants to escort them every time that (dismissal) bell rings, but he can’t.

If you’ve ever driven on Clinch Avenue you know the hazard. The posted speed limit is 45 at the traffic light at Hiway Drive, and the Clinton police do a good job of looking for speeders.But think about it — even with a speed limit of 45, crossing Clinch Avenue is still daunting in heavy traffic.

“You can’t put a price on the safety of our children,” Clinton City Director of Schools Kelly Johnson said.

The open four-lane in South Clinton is just one of the circumstances addressed in the South Clinton Vision.

Again, U.S. 25W is a state road, and all the wishes in the world from local planners don’t have any weight with TDOT.

Or do they”

“We want to spur growth in South Clinton,” Anderson County Chamber of Commerce President Rick Meredith said.

“But there is a safety issue and I think that will arise to the front anf TDOT will address it fairly quickly,” Meredith said.

Much of the South Clinton Vision centers on the riverfront next to the new bridge.

Connecting South Clinton with “Main Street” Clinton is already in the works with the sidewalk grant.

The Ingle’s shopping center in South Clinton could dramatically change the face of not just South Clinton, but the whole of the city— and it is highly speculated by city and county officials that that could take place.

Designs call for a re-imagining of the Ingle’s plaza, using the store as a building block for other retail developments and riverfront living.

According to numerous officials, Ingle’s wants to “see progress” before committing to redeveloping its property.

If you look at the progress of the original Clinton Vision document, you’ll see that many of the concepts are in place.

It’s been slow, but it has been steady.

South Clinton may have a bigger “splash” with Aspire coming into play, but it will still take time.

It’s a “vision,” not a moratorium.

“It’s a teaspoon at a time,” Meredith said.