Residents of Steele Creek Colony (Tennessee) expressed concerns about the city’s plan to replace Steele Creek Golf Course with a campground, a proposal that the City Council has floated.
As per a report, the Bristol Tennessee City Council heard a representative from the Steele Creek Colony concerning the premature plan.
I am thankful to hear that the council is backing away from the repurposing of the golf course to an RV and tent campground,” Jim Jordan said at the Tuesday night meeting. “I’ve talked to several property owners in Steele Creek Colony, and [they] all are opposed to a campground there.”
Jordan spoke about the effect that the campground would have on the neighborhood’s aesthetics, the property value in the area, and other concerns that people from Steele Creek Colony share about safety.
The aesthetic value of having the green space on the golf course is much preferred to the asphalt, rock concrete for roads and the electrical, water, sewer lines, the bathhouses, security lights and other necessities for camping, which would detract from the natural park setting and the surrounding residential area,” Jordan told the council.
“Another reason we were opposed is the possibility of increased drug and human trafficking, which will create a security risk for kids at the park and in our neighborhood.”
After explaining why Steele Creek Colony residents are against the project, Jordan emphasized that they support other proposed plans to help make Steele Creek Park more accessible and enjoyable for the Bristol community.
“We agree with your plans to upgrade the hiking and biking trails. We are also for the repaving of the park road and parking areas and the trail around the lake. We are for those things that are in the best interest of all the residents of Bristol,” Jordan said. “We are for making visitors feel welcome at Steele Creek Park with a variety of activities, including a golf course and a driving range.
City Council contracted with a consultant firm, The Sports Facilities Cos., that organized consultations with the public in December of 2021 and presented ideas on how to best use the Steele Creek Park property to the benefit of the city’s residents.
Steele Creek Golf Course, a nine-hole course, is controversial after losing over $75,000 in the last four years.
This story originally appeared on Bristol Herald Courier.