September 28, 2021 (Micca Terrell)
Ballfields, a splashpad, a small amphitheater, and additions to existing park nature trails could be built in the future in the Town of Ashland City, as part of a comprehensive parks plan which is currently in development. According to the town’s website, the plan is a 20-year plan to “add amenities and features that will improve the quality of life” for residents. It will also allow for Ashland City leaders to request grants to help pay for the costs for the improvements.
Two meetings to receive input from residents were held in August and September. Attendance at the August 18 session was 18 people and 12 people attended the September 1 meeting.
At this point, the plan includes 170 acres along the Cumberland River near the A.O. Smith plant. The Town of Ashland City exchanged city hall for the 170-acre property that the county had. The county needed city hall to build the new jail on, according to Scott Sampson, Ashland City Parks Director.
Citizens provided input for the proposal, which is now currently being worked on by architect Josh Wright. Wright, a resident of Pleasant View, has worked on the River Walk development along the Cumberland River in Clarksville and is also working on plans for the new city hall and fire hall in Ashland City, according to Sampson.
The timeline for the plan includes meetings in October for the Planning Commission and Parks Board. Those will be held Oct. 4 and Oct. 26 at the Senior Center, respectively. Preliminary design presentations will be in November.
Sampson said the plan will be revealed at the Ashland City Council’s regular meeting on December 14.
“It’s going to be a long process,” he said. “People need to be patient.”
For more on the schedule of the meetings, visit the Town of Ashland City’s website: https://www.ashlandcitytn.gov/community/page/comprehensive-plan-2021.
