City seeks public input on park project
The city of Clinton plans to add this forested area next to Carden Farm Dog Park as a park, and plans to apply for a state grant to do so. (photo:Ben Pounds )
Residents are invited to attend the Clinton Recreation Advisory Board meeting at 4 p.m. Wednesday (March 26).
According to city parks staff, the proposed Otho Brown Park is still in the early planning stages, and specific features have yet to be finalized.
At its meeting Monday, March 24, the Clinton City Council unanimously approved submitting an application to the state of Tennessee for a Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant. Council member Brian Hatmaker was absent.
Amanda Carter, administrative assistant with Clinton Parks and Recreation, and Taylor Cullison, recreation coordinator for programs, told The Courier News the city does not yet know how much funding it might receive.
The proposed 6.492-acre expansion is a wooded area located across a railroad track from the existing park. The land was donated to the city by Cathy Brown, and will be named after her father, Otho Brown, Carter said.
Carter and Cullison said the city hopes to preserve the wooded setting while potentially adding walking trails and additional disc golf holes to complement the existing ones at Carden Farm.
A launch site for kayaks and canoes is also being considered, although that will depend on the land’s grade and approval by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Carter said the land could continue serving as habitat for geese, ospreys, cranes and other birds that nest along the riverbank and nearby wetlands. She also proposed adding benches, picnic tables and trash cans.
“Of course, we’re always interested to see what the community needs, what they’re interested in, and if we could make some of those things feasible, we’d love to,” Cullison said. “Essentially, we have large hopes.”
The city’s proposal outlines a possible grand opening for Otho Brown Park between 2026 and 2028.
“It is absolutely the most vague presentation,” Carter said of the initial plans. Cullison added that more details will become available once the city knows how much funding it will receive from the state.
