Sharing this article since I am now a newly appointed member of the Parks Library and Recreation Committee of the Metro Council and the Greenway's Commission under the Metro Board of Parks and Recreation as a representative on behalf of the Metro Council. I sought this appointment due to our area expressing a great need for quite some time for Quality of life improvements in the area of Parks and Recreation. Efforts continue to be made to bring these great opportunities that other areas of the city currently enjoy. This article highlights enhancements to East Nashville and the Hermitage area.
Three appointments most recently were made which include myself representing Southeast Nashville, Sheri Weiner representing West Nashville and Charlie Tygard representing At-Large.
I will continue to seek out ways to bring Quality of Life enhancements by supporting Parks and Recreation and seeking opportunities to improve our access to a network of conservation and recreational resources. Two areas of the city have now moved ahead to take advantage of the few funds that are available in the open space plan which is a new plan launched by Mayor Karl Dean. As a former member of the Metro Parks and Recreation Board, I am pleased to see our city making advancements in preserving developable land to green space that can be enhanced aesthetically and can connect people to beautiful natural areas.
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Metro nears deal to add 181-acre country club land to parks system
The City Paper
Metro’s Stones River Greenway could expand by 181 acres, with the city working to finalize the acquisition of the privately owned Ravenwood Country Club in Hermitage.
Jim Fyke, of the Metro Finance Department, told The City Paper Metro officials are still
finishing details of a deal that would allow the club’s acreage to become part of Metro’s greenways system. He declined to say how much Metro would pay for the property but said it would come out of $5 million in funds set aside for open space acquisition.
If a deal between the club owner David Watkins and Metro is hammered out this week, the Metro Parks and Recreation Department staff is set to recommend the club’s purchase to the nine-member parks board at its Nov. 1 meeting, next Tuesday.
“They’re recommending — assuming we have a signed agreement — that we go forward with the purchase,” Fyke said. “We still haven’t settled on a final price yet.”
The acquisition –– requiring Metro Council approval –– would come seven months after Metro paid $1.2 million for the 132-acre Cornelia Fort Airpark to add to East Nashville’s Shelby Park.
In hopes of sparing land from development, Mayor Karl Dean recently launched an open space plan that carries the ambitious goal of preserving 22,000 acres of land over the next 25 years. Both purchases fall under the plan’s umbrella.
Fyke said Watkins –– who purchased the country club in 2008 –– must contractually keep the club operating through 2013. Thus, if Metro does purchase the property, it would not take ownership until that time.
“The [country club] membership is getting what they agreed to in 2008 even if we buy it,” Fyke said.
If the club is purchased, Fyke said Metro wouldn’t continue operating the club’s existing 18-hole golf course on the acreage. But he said the city would make use of the club’s swimming and tennis facilities.
“[Metro] Parks will have to adjust,” Fyke said of converting the golf course to park space, “but I think fairly quickly it could be made into quite a bit of public use.”
