• About
    • About Us
    • What We Cover
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Our Advertisers
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Send News
  • Subscribe

Oak Ridge Today

  • Home
  • Sign in
  • News
    • Business
    • Community
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Police and Fire
    • U.S. Department of Energy
    • Weather
  • Sports
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Recreation
    • Rowing
    • Youth
  • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Dancing
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Premium Content
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds


 







DOE remains interested in transferring Clark Center Park to city

Posted at 12:31 pm June 21, 2016
By John Huotari 3 Comments

Clark Center Park Water View

A view of Melton Hill Lake near a boat ramp and between two picnic areas at Clark Center Park in south Oak Ridge in July 2014. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The U.S. Department of Energy remains interested in transferring Clark Center Park to Oak Ridge, and the city continues to discuss that possibility with the federal government even though it could be a strain on municipal finances, officials said Tuesday.

The property could be transferred at no cost to the city. But one of the questions raised two years ago about the potential property transfer was whether Oak Ridge could afford to take over the 80-acre park.

That appears to remain a concern. It costs DOE about $300,000 per year to operate the park, which is in south Oak Ridge on Melton Hill Lake.

“Monetarily, it’s difficult for us right now,” Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said Tuesday.

In 2014, there were Oak Ridge City Council meetings and public meetings about the future of the park and the potential transfer to the city.

Advertisement

On Tuesday, DiAnn Fields, spokesperson for the DOE Oak Ridge Office, said the 2014 meetings showed that the community would like to see the Clark Center property transferred to the city and maintained as a park for the community.

“DOE continues to pursue and foster dialogue to allow the transfer of Clark Center Park to the City of Oak Ridge,” Fields said.

DOE has recently had Clark Center Park surveyed, which is one of several requirements to allow the transfer of the parcel.

“We are interested in transferring the property to the City of Oak Ridge so that it will remain a recreational park for the public,” Fields said. “While there is no timeline for that transfer, there are certain actions that can be undertaken now to allow DOE or General Services Administration to transfer the park. At some time in the future, GSA could be requested to assist in the transfer.”

Also known as Carbide Park, Clark Center park 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 the city has a lot of demands on it right now, including a potential move of the Oak Ridge Senior Center from a county-owned building on Emory Valley Road to the Oak Ridge Civic Center. Other major projects in the works that would involve city support, negotiations, or funding include a potential new preschool at Elm Grove Park; a possible transfer of the American Museum of Science and Energy property; possibly relocating the Anderson County General Sessions Court, Division II; and Main Street Oak Ridge, the redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall.

Still, the city is keeping lines of communication open with DOE on Clark Center Park, Watson said.

“We’re still talking,” he said.

Advertisement

Fields said the property transfer could be done either through internal authorities or under the authority of the General Services Administration. The GSA could also help DOE dispose of the 17.12-acre AMSE property on South Tulane Avenue.

An informal survey of Oak Ridge Today readers on one previous story on Clark Center Park found about 93 percent of those voting favored having the city accept the park from DOE. Ninety-three percent of those voting said they live in or near Oak Ridge, and 41 percent said they use the park frequently while 32 percent said they use it occasionally.

In August 2014, the Oak Ridge City Council adopted a resolution authorizing Watson to conduct further discussions with DOE and to provide regular reports on the discussions. The resolution also recognized an interest in soliciting input from Oak Ridge residents regarding possible transfer issues.

Among the questions the public was asked:

  1. What are the options to finance ongoing operation of the park?
  2. What amenities/improvements would the community desire?
  3. Is city ownership the best option? What are the costs and benefits?
  4. What is the Oak Ridge public’s definition of a recreation use for Clark Center Park?
Clark Center Park Beach

The beach at Clark Center Park is pictured above in July 2014. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Among other ideas, city officials and supporters proposed options that included a campground or lodging for visitors, including those coming to tour sites at the new Manhattan Project National Historical Park, and fishing tournaments to help generate revenues.

Officials said in 2014 that the possible transfer was part of the Oak Ridge Office’s assessment of its continued ownership of land across the Oak Ridge Reservation. Watson said then that the proposed transfer is part of a cost-cutting effort in DOE’s Oak Ridge Office, and running a park is not really part of the department’s mission. He said it’s a discussion that dates back to at least 1993.

Council members have called Clark Center Park a “crown jewel” park, but city officials have had a range of questions about the proposed take-over, including its impact on public safety and the potential maintenance costs. Among the questions they’ve asked: With other competing priorities, can the city afford to take over the park? Also, how would public safety, including police and fire response times, be affected? And what are the implications of having a city beach on a lake, which is now “swim at your own risk”?

The potential transfer to the city was considered an alternative to letting DOE turn over the popular swimming, boating, picnicking, and fishing destination to the GSA, which could, in turn, dispose of it.

See previous stories on Clark Center Park here.

Clark Center Park Picnic Area

One of two large picnic areas at Clark Center Park is pictured above in July 2014. The park also includes a small playground, two ball fields, boat ramp, fishing trails, and beach. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

More information will be added as it becomes available.

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Filed Under: DOE, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Office, Oak Ridge Reservation, Recreation, Slider, Sports, Top Stories, U.S. Department of Energy Tagged With: American Museum of Science and Energy, AMSE, Clark Center Park, DiAnn Fields, DOE, DOE Oak Ridge Office, General Services Administration, GSA, Mark Watson, Melton hill lake, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Office, Oak Ridge Reservation, U.S. Department of Energy

Advertisements

 

Join the club!

If you appreciate our work, please consider subscribing. Besides helping us, your subscription will give you access to our premium content.

Most of our stories are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our members—advertisers, subscribers, and sponsors.

But some are premium content, available only to members. Those are in-depth, investigative, or exclusive stories that are available only on Oak Ridge Today. They generally require at least four hours to report, write, and publish.

You can subscribe for as little as $5 per month.

You can read more about your options here.

We currently offer five primary subscription options to readers, and they include benefits.

Basic

  • Basic monthly subscription ($5 per month)—access premium content
  • Basic annual subscription ($60 per year)—access premium content

Pro

  • Pro monthly subscription ($10 per month)—access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month
  • Pro annual subscription ($100 per year)—save $20 per year, access premium content, get breaking news emails first, and submit one press release or public service announcement per month

Temporary

  • Temporary access ($3 per week for two weeks)

We also have advanced subscription options. You can see them here.

We also accept donations. You can donate here.

If you prefer to send a check for a subscription or donation, you may do so by mailing one to:

Oak Ridge Today
P.O. Box 6064
Oak Ridge, TN 37831

Thank you for your consideration and for reading Oak Ridge Today. We appreciate your support.

Commenting Guidelines

We welcome comments, but we ask you to follow a few guidelines:

1) Please use your real name, including last name. Please also use a valid e-mail address.
2) Be civil. Don't insult others, attack their character, or get personal.
3) Stick to the issues.
4) No profanity.
5) Keep your comments to a reasonable length and to a reasonable number per article.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these guidelines. Comments held for review, usually from those posting for the first time, may not post if they violate these guidelines. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Thank you also for reading Oak Ridge Today and for participating in the discussion.

More information is available here.

More Government News

Council to consider accepting airport grants

This is an aerial image of a layout plan for the proposed Oak Ridge Airport at the Heritage Center in west Oak Ridge. (Image courtesy Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority) The Oak Ridge City Council will consider … [Read More...]

Current status of city facilities due to COVID

Oak Ridge officials continue to ask residents to conduct municipal business over the phone and by phone when possible because of COVID-19. On Wednesday, the City of Oak Ridge released an update about city facilities … [Read More...]

Rep. Fleischmann tests positive for COVID

Chuck Fleischmann U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann, a Tennessee Republican whose district includes Oak Ridge, has tested positive for COVID-19. Fleischmann announced his positive diagnosis on … [Read More...]

Mason, an IDB member, community volunteer, dies of COVID complications

David Mason David Lane Mason, a member of the Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board and community volunteer, died of COVID-19 complications on Monday. He was 79. Mason was a former deputy director of environmental … [Read More...]

Tammy Dunn appointed Oak Ridge city attorney

Tammy Dunn The City of Oak Ridge has appointed Senior Staff Attorney Tammy Dunn as the next city attorney. Dunn assumes her new position this week, when current City Attorney Kenneth Krushenski retires, a press … [Read More...]

More Government

More U.S. Department of Energy News

U.S. Department of Energy Logo

Controlled burns start this week on DOE land

The U.S. Department of Energy is starting a series of controlled burns of grassland areas on the Oak Ridge Reservation this week. The controlled burns could continue through mid-April, depending upon weather. The … [Read More...]

Mason, an IDB member, community volunteer, dies of COVID complications

David Mason David Lane Mason, a member of the Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board and community volunteer, died of COVID-19 complications on Monday. He was 79. Mason was a former deputy director of environmental … [Read More...]

Ashley Golden promoted to director of ORISE health studies program

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education promoted Ashley Golden to director of its health studies program, where she previously served as a group manager and biostatistician. In her new role, Golden will … [Read More...]

Public Notice: Comment period extended for Draft EA for Lithium Processing Facility at Y-12

EXTENSION OF THE COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE LITHIUM PROCESSING FACILITY AT THE Y-12 NATIONAL SECURITY COMPLEX (DOE/EA-2145) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear … [Read More...]

For members: Summit at ORNL remains second-most powerful supercomputer

Pictured above being interviewed by a CNBC television crew before a ceremony on Friday afternoon, June 8, 2018, for the then-new Summit supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are Ginni Rometty, left, chairman, … [Read More...]

More DOE

Recent Posts

  • Council to consider accepting airport grants
  • Police chief to speak to League of Women Voters on Tuesday
  • Martin Luther King Jr. celebration will feature ORHS principal
  • Controlled burns start this week on DOE land
  • Current status of city facilities due to COVID
  • Rep. Fleischmann tests positive for COVID
  • Oak Ridge man charged with second robbery
  • Mason, an IDB member, community volunteer, dies of COVID complications
  • Tammy Dunn appointed Oak Ridge city attorney
  • Which Wich closes

Recent Comments

  • Matt Bailey on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem
  • Mark Caldwell on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem
  • Matt Bailey on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem
  • Mark Caldwell on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem
  • Matt Bailey on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem
  • Tracy Powers on Planning Commission to consider Main Street apartments, plan revisions
  • johnhuotari on Four incumbents re-elected to Oak Ridge City Council
  • Levi D. Smith on Four incumbents re-elected to Oak Ridge City Council
  • samuel hopwood on Housing: Apartments proposed on former AMSE site
  • Matt Bailey on Robin Smith named Oak Ridge police chief

Search Oak Ridge Today

About Us

About Oak Ridge Today
What We Cover

How To

Advertise
Subscribe

Contact Us

Contact Oak Ridge Today

Copyright © 2021 Oak Ridge Today