Could industrial park buffer become a park?

February 28, 2024 by Ben Pounds

It’s a small parcel of land near factories, but it could become a city park with a focus on nature.

The Clinton Port Authority discussed some ideas for the parcel on J.D. Yarnell Industrial Parkway at its meeting Tuesday, Feb. 20, but took no vote.

The parcel does not have an address and is in between 325 and 275 J.D. Yarnell Industrial Parkway in the Eagle Bend Industrial Park.

Port Authority Chairman Joey Smith said it’s a restricted property, per the deed.

Parts of the property must remain a “buffer zone,” but a park or a natural area is possible within that restriction. Smith said to make the parcel a city park, the Port Authority would need to submit a proposal to the Clinton City Council.

He said Mayor Scott Burton had recommended the port authority propose what type of park it would be, but recommended it be a different type from other parks in Clinton.

“I don’t know exactly what that is,” Smith said. He and others spoke of existing park types in Clinton such as a dog park, an inclusive park for people with disabilities, disc golf and a fitness trail.

“I almost needed to Google ‘What are the types of parks?’” Smith said.

Port Authority member Curtis Isbel recommended a picnic area for people who worked at adjacent factories.

“Wouldn’t it be better used if we had a place where someone could go and have lunch if we wanted to?” he said.

Smith said he felt like a natural area made the most sense, explaining it wouldn’t need many alterations besides trails. He said the area is a combination of woods and fields with places “as flat as East Tennessee gets.”

Authority Secretary Nancy Harper also supported the nature trail idea, comparing it to the quiet walkways she said her husband enjoys in Gatlinburg.

However, she raised concerns about safety and whether the city would be liable for muggings.

Smith said he would investigate that concern and whether the Port Authority could meet in May on the site.

Smith said the city created the Port Authority in 1966 “to facilitate transportation in Clinton and Anderson County, to promote navigation on the Clinch River” and “to facilitate transfer of people, goods and merchandise.” Other purposes included “to aid in utilization of natural resources and recreation and watersports facilities for the development of commerce and industry in the municipality and the county.”