County approves up to $500,000 in 2024 bond proceeds for Red Bank recreation projects

The Hamilton County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 17 approved Resolution 925‑19, allocating up to $500,000 in proceeds from the county’s 2024 bond issue to support community recreation projects in the city of Red Bank.

Martin Granham, city manager of Red Bank, told commissioners the project grew from a multi‑year, data‑driven planning process in which the city established a goal of a “10‑minute walk to park” and developed a parks and recreation master plan. “It’s with great joy that I’m here this morning to speak on behalf of this project, this exciting and transformational project,” Granham said.

Red Bank officials told the commission the most pressing unmet recreation need identified in the master plan is a public basketball court — the city currently has none — and the planned investment centers on a basketball park and surrounding amenities. Granham said the project reuses underutilized city‑owned property, improves walkability (he said the project would increase the city’s walkability score by 12 percent) and connects to other active projects, including a recently awarded $402,000 Tennessee Department of Health diabetes‑prevention grant to develop trail connections on about 19 acres adjacent to schools, the pool and the community center.

Granham described additional local projects that would complement the new park: expansion of the White Oak Connector Trail, design work on a bike boulevard funded by a regional congestion mitigation/air quality grant, and plans for a north‑end park on the former Red Bank Middle School site. He invited commissioners to a future ribbon cutting, saying the city expects construction and completion in roughly a year.

Commissioner Sharp and others praised the city’s community engagement and planning process. Commissioner Graham asked commissioners to support the county grant application on behalf of Red Bank; Commissioner Graham and Commissioner Shipley moved and seconded the resolution. A roll‑call vote followed and Resolution 925‑19 passed.

The appropriation directs county bond proceeds to partner with Red Bank on the park and related recreation and trail investments. County staff and Red Bank will proceed with project design and implementation steps as outlined by city staff during the presentation.