Residents weigh in on $750K Norris parks/recreation improvement projects
Norris residents were given an opportunity Monday evening to give their preferences for updates and additions to the city’s parks and recreation facilities that would be paid for from a $375,000 state Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant, which will be matched by the city for a total project outlay of $750,000.
Hosted by the City Council at 5 p.m., the workshop was part of a requirement of the state grant that the city get public input on what projects should be prioritized.
The city received notice of approval of the grant last August. That came from an application the city submitted in May for park and sports facilities upgrades that the City Council tentatively OK’d in February.
The grant will be received by the city over a three-year period.
As for the city’s matching share, Norris already designates $75,000 a year in its regular budget for parks and recreation improvements, and there is $150,000 in unspent funds in the budget already.
The city will add $75,000 each year for the next three years to come up with the required match.
According to the state Department of Environment and Conservation, “The approved scope of [the Norris grant] is the redevelopment of tennis courts into a new complex to include a tennis court, pickleball courts, a new outdoor basketball court, upgrades to the existing restroom, parking, and accessible pathways at [Eric Harold] Memorial Park.”
These are part of an overall plan the city has been developing for park improvements for more than a year.
Titled the “2024 City of Norris Sport Complex and Park Accessibility Project,” the initial work would include “improvements and reconstruction of various elements of Eric Harold Park and adjacent recreational facilities,” including:
• Development and grading for the construction of a new sport complex.
• Construction of a multi-sport complex with spaces to play tennis, pickleball, and basketball.
• Lighting for the multi-sport complex.
• Refurbishment of the existing restroom structure allowing for two public restrooms (one ADA-compliant).
• Improvements to the pavilion at Eric Harold Park, including replacement of roof.
• Accessibility improvements to parking lots (including new striping and signage) at each facility, and construction of ADA-compliant walkways between and throughout each facility.
• New restrooms for the sport complex.
“In addition to improvements to those facilities, the grant would address accessibility issues at the city’s other two parks, including the construction of ADA-compliant walkways and parking spaces,” the plan stated.
A 10-year master plan the city is developing calls for these and other improvements and additions to city parks and recreation/sports facilities. The preliminary plan was presented during a special workshop meeting in late January 2024.
A consulting firm the city hired in 2023 to develop the master plan was on hand to give the initial details of their efforts to devise the plan.
Andreas Guevara-Nadeau of Community Development Partners LLC in Knoxville presented slides detailing the proposed changes and upgrades, which covered all city park and recreation facilities except for those in the Norris Municipal Watershed and some controlled by entities other than the city, such as the Anderson County Schools.
Amenities in the watershed, including the rifle range and various walking trails, are under control of the Norris Municipal Watershed Board, which is appointed by the City Council, but operates independently from the city’s Recreation Department.
Some other recreation facilities, such as the amphitheater and the Norris Lions Club Pavilion in front of Norris Middle School, are under control of other entities, including the school.
City recreation facilities that would be scheduled for improvements, expansion or upgrades include Oak Road Park, Ridgeway Park, Eric Harold Memorial Park, Norris Commons, Creamery Park, the city gymnasium in the Community Center, and the Disc Golf Course and tennis courts adjacent to the Community Building.
The master plan was developed mostly from a community survey than was begun after an initial parks and recreation master plan workshop held in mid-2023.
More swimming facilities and water activities, and new or upgraded restrooms were among the top items people asked for in the survey.
People 65 and up were interested in more low-impact fitness options, while “everybody wants a dog park,” the survey summary said.
Also mentioned as high priority were additional basketball and pickleball courts, more programs for senior citizens and middle school students, and more non-athletic programs, such as photography.
