JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
The Board of Mayor and Commissioners in South Pittsburg has agreed to a contract for $700,000 of grant funds from the state’s Heritage Conservation Trust Fund (HCTF) program to go directly towards land at South Pittsburg Mountain.
During the meeting, City Administrator Michael Hudson explained the property is situated within the community’s Happy Hollow Vista neighborhood, situated by South Pittsburg Mountain. Back in April, Hudson, alongside the current administration, traveled to Nashville to speak with state representatives on receiving potential funds for the purchase of the property, particularly a purchase done by the non-profit organization, the Open Space Institute (OPI). The state at the time agreed to provide funding from the HCTF program. The state then sent over the contract to the board earlier this month.
“This is simply a contract to agree to receive those funds,” said Hudson. “Should we have the opportunity to purchase that property, the money would go towards the purchase.”
Joel Houser, Director of Capital Grants for OPI, explained the organization is an environmental conservationist program dedicated to the preservation of land across the Eastern U.S. Houser noted the organization aims to purchase the property to then allow full ownership of the land to the South Pittsburg administrative body, working in cohesion alongside the local municipality. He added the property consists of nearly 600 acres of land, the property serving as a major watershed within the community.
“Roughly 35% percent of the watershed that comes into the town is contained in this property,” said Houser. “So, we saw an opportunity to address and help mitigate flooding in South Pittsburg, while also offering town participation and ownership of the property.”
Additionally, the organization also hopes to have the property potentially introduce new recreational activities for the community to utilize, while simultaneously having its natural significance be preserved for years to come. However, negotiations surrounding the property’s official purchase is currently ongoing, leaving only the presented contract as the first approved step within current negotiations.