County seeks community input on parks

Mike DonilaOur Town Outdoors

The Knox County Parks and Recreation Department is currently seeking the public’s input for the creation of a 10-Year Parks Master Plan.

The purpose of this plan is to assist the county with prioritizing park and trail system projects and renovations. The public is encouraged to complete a short survey that will provide information for what will become a master plan the county can use to build and better our parks, trails, fields and other amenities.

In addition to the link above, the survey can also be accessed by scanning QR codes at the Festival of Lights — and at county golf courses. After January 2, 2022, the signs with QR codes to take the survey will be available at several county parks.

Earlier this year, Knox County hired Kimley-Horn, a planning and design engineering firm, to help put together a Comprehensive Land Use and Transportation plan for the county and a specific Master Plan for Parks and Recreation. The information collected from the survey will be turned over to the firm, which will then provide the department with feedback and a draft recommendation. Also, during this time, the firm will evaluate the county’s existing parks and their conditions while also conducting a demographic analysis and staffing assessment.

As it stands, the county should have a completed Parks master plan by September 2022. Counties need a master plan that is current within five years to accept some state and federal grants. A plan also helps the county from both a budgetary and development standpoint for the overall parks system. The department’s plan is currently 11-years-old.

You may have heard, but once again the Karns Sportspark was recognized as Complex of the Year, this time by the non-profit USA Softball of Tennessee.

The Karns-based park competed against complexes across the state. USA Softball, which governs softball in Tennessee, has 15 districts, 32 officers, more than 500 teams, and over 250 umpires.

The Sportspark, located at 8050 Oak Ridge Highway, features four baseball/softball fields for hosting a number of youth fastpitch softball tournaments throughout the year, one field exclusively for baseball, and three practice football fields. The park also has a playground, a walking trail, concessions, a kayak launch and a pavilion for picnics.

In recreation news, keep an eye out this January for more details about “NFL Flag Football,” which we will offer in the spring! Currently, recreation and open league basketball is ongoing with lots of games this weekend.

Most of the crews have spent time picking up leaves and keeping the parks clean. Additionally, the Concord Park crew has been out cutting wood for the fire pits at the annual Holiday Festival of Lights at the Cove.

And speaking of that great (and free) event – which runs from 6-9 p.m. every day through Jan. 2 (except for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day), folks have donated $2,272.75 and four barrels of food.

Visitors are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to donate to the Love Kitchen, which provides meals, clothing and emergency food packages for the homebound, homeless and unemployed. There is also a cash donation box and QR codes that accept Venmo payments.

Last year’s festival set a record for non-perishable food items donated – enough to fill 16 barrels. A total of $7,428,49 also was donated. The prior year set the record in cash donations with $7,677 and 12 barrels of food.

We did close the festival last Saturday due to the weather.

In other parks news, our carpenters have been working on the shop, putting up walls and fixing the roof. We’ve had crews at the Collier Preserve cutting up dead and dangerous tress. And we’ve had our folks work on the Concord Park boat ramps.

In addition to removing trip hazards along the walkways and trails, the one-man machine Frank Christian sent me this:

“Working on new pedestrian crosswalk signs for Maloney Park Greenway and at the Cove. Old trees hauled off from Sportspark, wrapping up new door decals project. New signs ordered for IC King and Hickory Creek parks. Carpenters completed new sign at Collier.”

Well said, Frank!

Mike Donila is communications director for Knox County government

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