Commission backs well for Rosedale
The Anderson County Commission is encouraging the Anderson County Water Authority to pursue state or federal funding for a new water well in the Rosedale community, located in the county’s New River area.
Commissioner Michael Foster made the motion, seconded by Commissioner Chad McNabb, to support ACWA’s efforts. The motion passed unanimously during the commission’s meeting Jan. 20.
The Rosedale community is named after the former Rosedale Elementary School, which once served the area.
“These are hard-working people,” Commissioner Tim Isbel said of the residents. “They don’t have anything. They don’t have the necessities of life like clean water.”
Commissioner Shain Vowell, who represents the area, said residents would appreciate knowing that the entire commission supports the effort.
“I think it would mean a lot to the people over there,” he said.
Commissioner Tracy Wandell said ACWA is exploring a federal Community Development Block Grant, specifically under the “Imminent Threat” category, to help fund the project. He noted that one remaining hurdle is the need for the well to be located on county-owned property rather than private land.
Isbel added that Nancy Manning, executive director of the Oak Ridge-based nonprofit Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning, had researched potential state funding sources and shared that information with ACWA.
Land transfer
discussion delayed
In a related action, the commission deferred a request to pursue a land transfer involving property along State Highway 116 in the same region.
The request, brought forward by the Operations Committee, sought to ask the state for a transfer of land owned by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
However, commissioners voted instead to send the matter back to the Operations Committee for further review.
Commissioner Robert McKamey made the motion to defer, seconded by Commissioner Ebony Capshaw.
Isbel said TWRA owns most of the property. He said residents would like for the state to transfer a strip on either side of state Highway 116 to them “or to try for some residential development.”
After discussing the matter with other commissioners during the Operations Committee meeting, he said he later found out that TWRA does not sell land. However, it can trade land if it considers the trade to be equal value.
“This is an area that’s been overlooked,” Isbel said. “A lot of things have been taken from that property, from that area — even their identity now with their ZIP code,” he added, referring to GPS systems listing the Rosedale area as part of Briceville.
He said the county has long benefited from tax revenues tied to coal and timber extracted from the area.
“I think it’s time, if we can, to try to give something back to those people,” Isbel said. “Whether it’s four or 4,000, they’re important.”
Commissioner Sabra Beauchamp, however, pointed out that there are multiple residents, and she wasn’t certain how any land transfer would go.
She wondered if it might go through the county government. She said the motion was too vague for her to support.
“New River girl over here,” she said, pointing out she was from that area and wanted good things to happen in it.
“But also, I don’t want to get into a war with TWRA,” she said.
Isbel acknowledged his motion at the committee level was made out of emotion.
“So, it was one of those heartfelt motions,” he said.
