The Town of Nashville’s parks committee is looking for suggestions for what should go on land the town bought last year to turn into a park.
The town bought three neighboring lots at Washington and Johnson streets last July for $89,000. Two homes were removed from them, and a third building — a historic log cabin in disrepair — was left for the group to decide how to use it.
So far, the town has received a $7,500 grant from Duke Energy. That money is going to pay for landscaping and Brown County stone planters on two corners, and to put up signs about native plants.
To form the rest of the plan, the committee is asking the public for help.
At a committee meeting last week, the group was talking about what Nashville would still need if a few other, separate park projects come to fruition. The Friends of Jefferson Street Park are developing a dog park/contemplative space at the end of Jefferson Street a block south of this land, and the Nashville United Methodist Church is planning a shelterhouse and playground behind the church three blocks north.
Last year, the town opened a compact “all-ages play space” outside the public restroom building at the Village Green. That was the first, official town-owned park.
Ideas the group has discussed for the Washington/Johnson lots include a basketball court, possibly on part of the Washington Street parking lot; a town-owned flower garden where groups could plant and take care of raised beds and have friendly competitions among them; functional art pieces; a shelterhouse; a small bathroom; natural play elements, like dirt mounds for kids to dig in; or simply leaving it as a green space. However, if it’s going to be just green space, it needs more trees, the group agreed.
Since the plans and offerings of other parks in Nashville have evolved within the past few weeks, the group is seeking ideas on what the community wants to see in this space. Possible park names also are needed.
Send ideas to town council member Alisha Gredy at [email protected] by Saturday, Aug. 25, or drop them at Town Hall, 200 Commercial St.
The group has no specific timeline or funding streams in mind to complete this project yet.
Committee members include Gredy, Anna Hofstetter, Jane Gore, Scott Rudd, Melanie Voland and Zachary Huneck.
