A view of Melton Hill Lake near a boat ramp and between two picnic areas at Clark Center Park in south Oak Ridge.
It’s an 80-acre “crown jewel” park, the site of cherished memories dating back decades. But now the future of Clark Center Park is in doubt.
The U.S. Department of Energy is considering turning the park over to the federal General Services Administration, which could sell it, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson told City Council members Monday. He said it’s part of a cost-cutting effort in DOE’s Oak Ridge Office.
Watson suggested DOE was moving quickly and could shut down the park as early as this fall. But before that happens, Watson said, he wanted to give residents and officials a chance to weigh in.
“This is an important community decision,” Watson said during a Monday night work session. “Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”
One of two large picnic areas at Clark Center Park. The park also includes a small playground, two ball fields, boat ramp, fishing trails, and beach.
Although they haven’t voted yet, City Council members said they want more information, and they suggested they would like to have additional discussions to possibly keep the well-maintained park, which is heavily used on weekends.
“Why would we ever say ‘no’?” Council member Charlie Hensley asked.
“It would take us millions of dollars to put together this kind of waterfront property,” Council member Anne Garcia Garland said.
Watson said the city previously said “no” in 1993.
Clark Center Park is in south Oak Ridge on Melton Hill Lake. Also known as Carbide Park, it includes two ball fields, two large picnic areas, a small playground, a boat ramp, restrooms, fishing trails, and a beach. It also includes access to the Gallaher Bend Greenway.
Watson said it costs DOE about $300,000 per year to maintain.
City officials have a variety of questions they would like to try to answer before agreeing to take over the property: Is there water and sewer at the park? Would DOE agree to help move utility poles in the infield of a ball field? What are the implications of having a city beach on a lake, without a lifeguard? It’s “swim at your own risk,” and Oak Ridge officials need to consider that, especially after an eight-year-old boy drowned while snorkeling near the swimming area in June, Watson said.
Other questions: What would the city do with the park? Can Oak Ridge absorb the cost and additional maintenance requirements? How would public safety, including police and fire response times, be affected?
Council could next consider the park during its August 11 meeting. That meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
The beach at Clark Center Park.
A. Powers says
I see a lot of negatives about this wonderful resource. What about all the positives and possibilities? Let’s have a little vision here. Clinton, Lake City (Rocky Top), Farragut and other places are building up, not resistant to but embracing change. What about looking at the park being used (and advertised) as a card to pull in people to live here and visit. A peaceful place to enjoy nature and commune with friends and family. Don’t let this get away – it could very well be the saving grace for Oak Ridge. Have a little vision – pull in folks from Clinton or other positive, forward-thinking people/groups to help evaluate and give fresh ideas. I would hate to see it ruined by too much commercialism or someone using it only to line their pockets, but run in the right way it could be used to make people see Oak Ridge not just as a bomb-building community, but a nurturing place. 🙂
A. Powers says
After more thought and reading comments to the other article “Oak Ridge Could Consider Taking Over DOE’s Clark Center Park” … We have the new Kroger Marketplace and Aldi’s, all the fast food chains, and we’re hopefully getting new shopping to replace the mall. Rowers love the waterfront and thankfully it hasn’t been sold off to commercial and housing. In my opinion, we need to keep Clark Center Park and not let GSA sell it off to commercial and housing developers who could take away community access/natural beauty and cater to million dollar buyers who would do all their business/shopping in Knoxville. David Alread has an excellent point – Community. A plea to local and nearby area churches and all civic-minded volunteer organizations could go a long way. They have tons of talent of all ages including retired folks and could contribute ideas/talent/free labor. Church groups & members are always seeking projects to support/help their neighbors and communities, and they obviously know how to plan and accomplish, because some operate/build on a cash basis. The way to get people involved is to “need them” and let them feel pride and a sense of ownership in what they accomplish in their community for their family, friends & neighbors, and to leave a legacy for future generations. Look at what Habit accomplishes. People helping people. Also, the National Park Service (Nipper comment) could be a good idea to protect the park and they would probably add and manage camping. I beg anyone who has any pull in this community not to let GSA get hold of the park – that would be a HUGE mistake!
Andrew Howe says
$300k seem extremely high for maintenance, so we should probably all assume that’s in “government dollars” and a more practical and reasonable private sector cost would run much less.
If you just want to maintain what exists now, we’re talking about a bit of mowing and some annual maintenance on the man-made items there (dock, road, bldgs, etc).
My opinion: take the park (ask for them to just GIVE it to us a a PILT), leave it as is and spend a pittance on maintenance.
Kevin Rice says
Yes the City needs to keep it, camping an charging a fee for this ! Maybe a small store for Camper to buy food an Fishing supply’s also the work at the Park could be done with people that are setting in Jail, put them to work an doing something that can help our County, I think we can form a Board that can make this a Very nice place like some of the other TVA an private parks !
Aditya "Doc" Savara says
The park has a “shack” with employees there. I wonder if that is part of the 300K.
Dave Smith says
An article in today’s (Aug 4) The Oak Ridger implies that the cost of the “shack” workers (one full-time, two part-time) are counted in the overall cost of maintaining the park.
David Allred says
I am trying to work up a few thoughts to present on Monday. Many are unaware of the conservation studies that are carried on this property. From box turtle studies to Blue Heron refuges, the park has much to offer even non-human species in our community.
From the human standpoint, I am an avid angler. Anyone that knows me has seen countless Instagram and FaceBook pictures of the catches in and around Clark Park. The boat launch is high quality, perhaps the highest quality boat launch within 15-20 miles of Oak Ridge. And it would easily jockey for a top 5 boat launch within 100 mile radius.
The pavilions are used by churches, sporting clubs, and several other groups. A list should be obtained of past year reservations.
I have personally officiated three weddings on the peninsula in the last 16 months. An outdoor “wedding chapel” would very easily bring in good revenue to help off-set costs.
100’s of residents line the shores every summer, eating & playing horseshoes and volleyball along the water. Because the park is free, many treat the park poorly which adds to maintenance costs. These should be called to task and into active participation in conservation efforts.
I guess it feels to me like all this has come out of “left-field,” no pun intended toward the heavily under-used softball fields.
We’ve not had time to consider a “proper” offer. As usual, it feels like government “for the people” is trumping our responsibility to engender a government “by the people.”
Count me 110% on board to save the park from commercial development.
johnhuotari says
I once did a story for The Oak Ridger on the 3,000-acre Three Bend Scenic and Wildlife Management Refuge Area on Freels, Gallaher, and Solway Bends. Unfortunately, that link no longer seems active. I have a hard copy of the story at home, but I’ll have to find it and scan it.
I did find a few links, including a DOE and State of Tennessee announcement from June 1999: http://www.oakridge.doe.gov/media_releases/1999/r-99-300.htm One question I have is: Does the Three Bend conservation and wildlife management area include Clark Center Park? The press release seems to suggest that it does, but I’m not certain if that’s still the case and will have to follow up with DOE.
I also found some old info on the AFORR (Advocates for the Oak Ridge Reservation) website: http://www.aforr.org/3bendstatus.html
Sandi Goldberg says
There is a new facebook group dedicated to saving the park, Help Save Carbide Park . Many good ideas have been bandied about on What’s Happening Now In -n- Around Oak Ridge, TN. Build a concession stand and let someone rent and run it. Have camping again and charge a small fee. Have a boat rental, canoes, paddleboats, etc, let someone run that and pay the city a fee to do so. And many, many more. It can be done. it needs to be saved from becoming commercialized with water front McMansions.
Dave Smith says
Sandi, thanks for sharing the information about the Facebook group. I am one of the few folks that don’t use Facebook so I can’t see what’s being posted there.
But “Carbide Park”? That’s a bit like calling ORNL “Clinton Engineering Works” or Mohammed Ali “Cassius Clay.” Gotta let go of the past at some point.
What I’ve noticed about public access venues in Oak Ridge is that we (OR taxpayers) provide them and folks from the surrounding counties use them, free-of-charge or at subsidized rates. I’m not leaning toward providing another avenue of revenue loss for the city, which is what would happen if we provided all the amenities you have suggested. I certainly do not support the entry of the city into the camping site business.
Regarding “McMansions” on the waterfront, I think you are being impractically judgmental. The valuation of lake lots is quite high and the property tax income from such lots would stand in stark contrast to the $300k operating loss the COR could sustain by keeping the entirety of Freels Bend undeveloped. (Would you like to pay more property tax or would you like pay less by adding adding some higher-tax-paying folks to the rolls?) In case you’ve never been on Melton Lake, nearly all the Knox County shoreline is developed, and you can bet that Knox County is raking in the property tax revenue from that fact. To paraphrase President Lincoln, let’s tell DOE that if they’re not going to use the 25-plus miles of Melton Lake shoreline under their ownership, we (citizens of Oak Ridge) would like to get some benefit from it.
Sandi Goldberg says
First off, I didn’t create the group so I didn’t name it but most Oak Ridger’s born and raised here still call it that, no need to be snarky about it. And for the rest of your post? I think the majority of those same Oak Ridger’s would disagree with you. Have a great day!
Philip W Nipper says
Yes Sandi I agree with you about the name. I was raised in OR and have always called it Carbide Park or to use it in a sentence “let’s take a ride out to carbide”. Much like how Rocky Top will really always be Lake City to most folks for many years, Carbide Park is what most “older” Oak Ridgers know it as and will continue to identify it as such no matter what the future holds for it or what entity manages it. Why, I still call the Texas Rangers or the Minnesota Twins the Washington Senators! Well not really.