36° CLEAR, Officials ponder future plans for Veterans Park
Last Modified: Sunday, December 10, 2006 at 11:00 p.m.
FLORENCE -- City leaders are unsure what the future holds in regard to plans at Veterans Park, on the heels of a Tennessee Valley Authority ruling that appears to stand in the way of any retail development at the park.
- Leaders explore options for park
- Florence to receive park ideas
- Push is on for park attraction
- Bronner has been 'glue that brought area together'
- TVA clarifies options for attraction at Veterans Park
- Park officials ask TVA for guidance
- Proposed shopping complex at park sparked controversy
- TVA makes the right call on land use
- Land-use proposal approved
- TVA gets thousands of comments on land use plan
- Chairman: TVA likely to restrict sale of its lands
- Florence council votes to ask TVA to revisit policy
- TVA extends deadline for land-use comments
- Council members seek TVA exception
- TVA wants feedback on proposal
They do, however, say they have no plans to challenge the TVA board's statement that shoreline property owned by the federal agency should not be used for commercial purposes.
"TVA has set a policy," City Council President Leland Howard said. "The policy is plain and I don't see us doing anything."
"We've got to comply with what they ruled," Councilman Hermon Graham said.
TVA spokesman Gil Francis said the agency set restrictions for the Veterans Park land long before the new land policy was adopted.
"Florence has a permanent recreational easement for the park property," he said. "The easement does not permit any commercial-retail operations like a shopping center or mall. Florence is free to use the land for recreation, but not for commercial retail."
Graham and others say they've heard rumors about a lawsuit possibly being filed by the Retirement Systems of Alabama or Public Park Authority of the Shoals to challenge TVA's new policy.
RSA Executive Officer David Bronner doesn't sees that happening. His organization has been involved in an economic develop project with local governments since 2001 that has been successful in attracting tourism to the area.
The project involves two Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail courses in Colbert County along with the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa, conference center and River Heritage program in Florence.
When approved, Bronner and others involved said an attraction in Veterans Park was needed to maximize the potential of the project, which was designed to stimulate growth in the area's sagging economy. The total project now appears in jeopardy of not being completed as a result of TVA's new policy.
Bronner said it would be "silly" to file a suit over the matter. "You don't really need to do that. All you ever really need to do is come up with an idea for an attraction at the park."
Along those lines, Bronner tersely challenged TVA officials to provide a plan for Veterans Park that would enhance the area's development plan.
"Maybe TVA can come up with ideas, since they like to sit around and pontificate," Bronner said. "They can come up with an idea to do something, instead of just sitting around thinking, for a change."
TVA's ruling came amid discussion of bringing a Bass Pro Shops store to the park. A second feasibility study was to have been conducted on the proposal, but that may be a thing of the past, with the ruling.
Florence Mayor Bobby Irons said RSA remains "in the driver's seat" in making a decision on what type of project should go at the park.
In the contract between RSA and the park authority, the Veterans Park attraction was to be mutually agreed on by both organizations. The contract also required the park authority to set aside $2 million to be used for infrastructure needs at the park.
"I don't know what their plan is right now," Irons said. "I'm sure there's still an open mind about what's going to happen."
Irons said he is confident whatever goes at Veterans Park will be in accordance with TVA's decision.
He said city officials are open to ideas, but stresses the ideas have to have substance, including a means of finance. "We need a project that will bring revenue and bring people.
"I encourage anybody who has a project to bring it forward."
Florence council members say the Bass Pro proposal never was brought before them and they have never been asked to vote on anything related to Bass Pro, a giant outdoors business that has been successful in markets like Nashville.
Councilwoman Angie Pickens, like other council members, said she's unsure what the next step will be for the park.
Council members said there is no plan for the park as of now.
In fact, Councilman Sam Pendleton has said he wouldn't be surprised if TVA ultimately reverses its decision and allows retail development. He said TVA was haphazard in its approach.
Councilman Scott Carrier, who has boisterously opposed the notion of retail development at the park, said TVA's decision "reflected the will of the people."
TVA Director Susan Williams said 92 percent of the more than 5,000 comments the utility received about the land management plan supported protecting public land along its reservoirs from commercial and residential development.
Francis does not agree with Pendleton's prediction that the new policy will be nullified.
Francis said TVA announced in August it would create the plan and held a hearing in Knoxville to collect comments. It then allowed Tennessee Valley residents 30 days to submit comments about the proposal. After a draft of the new land policy was published, TVA collected public comments for 30 additional days and then extended the comment period by 14 days to ensure everyone who wanted to comment did.
Many of the comments supporting the land plan came from the Shoals. Support for preserving Veterans Park was strong.
"In Florence, to plow under Veterans Park for a retail center is not in the overall public good," Carrier said. "It favors a select-few special interest. The TVA board saw that and correctly ruled in this case.
"You can have economic development and protect the environment. The two are not mutually exclusive."
Carrier said the city needs to explore the matter additionally, with public input, before reaching a decision on the park's future.
Bronner said Bass Pro simply was among ideas for the park, not the sole idea.
"The whole purpose was not to isolate Bass Pro," he said, adding, with an intentional pun, "We never had Bass Pro on the hook."
"They were just looking, like a lot of other people were looking," he said.
Bronner said the goal is to find something unique for the park, to bring people there.
"The whole purpose was to get something done to the park that enhances that area of the site," Bronner said.
He has heard numerous ideas, ranging from an ice-skating rink to a botanical garden to minor-league baseball stadium.
"Everybody's got crazy ideas, and that's good," Bronner said. "Maybe we can find one that works, something that's really unique and really enhances the area."
Rex Burleson, who chairs the park authority, said the next step is to brainstorm on ideas. He said that includes listening to ideas from the public.
When a project is determined for Veterans Park, Florence would have to petition TVA for approval if the project does not involve recreation usage.
"It may be that we don't do anything there, and take the money that's set aside for Veterans Park and enhance what we already have," Burleson said.
Dennis Sherer can be reached at 740-5746 or dennis.sherer@timesdaily.com.
Bernie Delinski can be reached at 740-5739 or bernie.delinski@timesdaily.com.
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Comments
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December 11, 2006 4:24:29 am
What about a Minor League Baseball Team? Has anyone ever been to a Memphis Redbirds game? It is a very family oriented atmosphere. After the games you are allowed to play ball on the field with your family. I know that baseball only last about 8 months but you could host the NCAA Division II National Championship game there and other event like concerts or whatever.
December 11, 2006 5:30:52 am
We have taken our youth group to concerts held after Huntsville Stars games, as well as watched the game of course. So, yes, that's a good idea, especially considering the emphasis on sports in this area already.
Talking to visitor Sunday (he works for Marriott) and he mentioned that walking trail & (man, can't remember other thing he mentioned) were still in the works. I have not been out that way but he said land was already cleared or at least being cleared? Is that correct, guys?
December 11, 2006 8:02:19 am
I am an implant from Illinois and just recently graduated from UNA. I love this area but the truth hurts. This town will never have any type of top rate attraction in this town until they loosen up the alcohol restictions in Florence. This area can't support a minor league team, but even if it could I couldn't imagine gong to a minor league game without the option of getting a beer and a hot dog. I think that an outdoor ampitheatre for concerts would possibly be a hit but again no alcohol. No alcohol = no revenue. People would rather drive to Birmingham or Nashville. Also I am tired of nature trails. Who in the world would go out of their way to come to the Shoals and walk. We've got woods as far as the eye can see in this area. Let's use more of our resources to make the Shoals more prosperous and wealthy.
December 11, 2006 8:20:33 am
There isn't enough space in Vet's Park for a minor league stadium. Plus, the city would have to pay to build it and I doubt they would want to do that.
Vet's Park has a disc golf course, but it's not utilized. We've got a disc park course here and there are always tournaments and events that draw in lots of people from all over TN and neighboring states. It's hard to find a good course and Vet's park has one. Invest a little money in renovating it and the city can make that back through hosting tournaments.
There are plenty of woods in the Shoals. One of the best things you can do in the woods that draws lots of people is paintball. It doesn't take that much space and is easy to set up. People will come from all over and pay to play in the woods. Not to mention eat at the restaurants, buy gas, paintball supplies, maybe even stay at the hotels. That's a lot of clean revenue for very little investment.
December 11, 2006 9:33:08 am
When you say the disc golf course is not being utilized, do you mean it cannot be used? This sounds like a fun (and possibly inexpensive?) activity for our youth.
BTW, I agree with the paintball idea. Kids & adults would enjoy that.
December 11, 2006 10:12:22 am
The last time I saw it, which has been several years ago, it could be used. There are no clear maps or boundaries for the course and there are no tournaments or events held for it. Disc golf is a blast to play and much, much cheaper than ball golf. It's a lot more popular than people realize, but people just don't know about the Vet's park course. A few more signs, better markings, course maps, and organized events would really turn things around for the park.
December 11, 2006 10:20:32 am
Welcome to the area jptorisky!!!! I am a non-drinker, but I have friends/family who drinks on occasion. I do believe what you are saying though, it is a fact that is everywhere in the US except in SOME southern cities. Even Muscle Shoals and Sheffield is more relaxed than Florence.
Those 2 cities have the potential of by-passing Florence because they have a more open-minded approach on things.
December 11, 2006 10:36:02 am
I have been to two meetings concerning the use of veterans park. One on a saturday mourning at the Flo. library and the other hosted by a concerned person at broadway rec. Neither meeting seemed to be properly attended by officals. Excellent ideas were presented at both meeting. Both meetings lacked orginization. Nobody seemed to be writing down the ideas. Only people taking turns presenting the ideas. I propose a committee representing various concerned groups organize meetings. There are a lot of good and bad ideas, but somebody has to fund them(invest) and maintain funding for them. I propose we first get the city to carefully thin out lower limbs, undergrowth and selected dangerous trees that obscure the view of the dam, lake and slough. Which in my opinion make the park so special. Also clean up the undesireables that often go to parks.
December 11, 2006 11:02:16 am
This is a repeat post that I just posted in another thread, but appropriate here as well.
I wish we would play to our strengths and quit trying to copy other cities, such as the simplicity in idea of a strip mall beside the Marriott. Good lord, we have so much heritage, culture, creativity, talent, etc. in this area to work with. Why not create things that are thematic to this area rather than BORING? That is the very core of a tourist attraction. When people are searching for a vacation or a weekend getaway, they're looking for unique!
Let's say you created an area that was thematic (such as the Renaissance period, the Blues or just music in general, Native American Indian, History of the Tennessee River, Veterans - maybe period housing representative of each war, etc.). Then you could take businesses that have a proven success record in this area and ask them to open a second store in the thematic area. Instead of bringing in the same old stores to compete with Shoals area businesses, give businesses with proven success records the incentive money with the stipulation that the outside of their buildings represent the theme and are approved as such.
Helping the natives would also greatly increase your chances of selling the idea.
December 11, 2006 11:39:18 am
You know what I think would do well here? An Irish Pub and Restaurant. I could go for some Shepherd's Pie right now. My husband loves Guiness. I think it's disgusting myself. I know this is crazy, but for some reason (even to someone who's not real supportive of the sale of alcohol being added to our area events) a pub would be okay with me. Maybe it's the Irish in me talking, but there you have it.
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