Spring is here. People are getting outside all over Clarksville. Last weekend I went down to Liberty Park on Saturday afternoon. Every square foot of that park was buzzing with activity. People were walking, running, biking, fishing, playing soccer, playing touch football, boating, working on their boats at the marina, using the community built playground, setting up for events on the Point and the Wilma Rudolph Pavilion, using the bark park. It was literally covered up with people. It struck me that it isn’t big enough. As City Chief of Staff during the planning, you played a key role in that park.
It is hard to believe that it was six and a half years ago that Mayor Piper and a visionary group of City Council members voted to fund that park. Two years later, in May of 2012, Liberty Park opened and it has been in constant use ever since. Six short years ago we seemed like a city on the move. I would challenge any Clarksvillian to name the last three major projects undertaken by the City of Clarksville since Liberty Park. Think about it. Has the city built any new roads? Has the city built any more parks? Has the city built a Performing Arts Center? A Sports Complex? A community center? Anything of substance? A fire station in the Industrial Park required by a new industry doesn’t count. That is just doing the minimum to keep up with growth. Where is the vision and the leadership?
We are in a “black hole” right now called the McMillan Administration. Today I learned that the annual intercity visit had just happened. Community leaders take this trip each year to another city (one that is actually getting stuff done) so they can get ideas to bring back to Clarksville. A group of our business and elected leaders made the trip but this time there was a glaring absence. Mayor McMillan didn’t even bother. There was no pretense that she might get a spark of an idea and spring into action. She just didn’t go. The County Mayor was there, just no City Mayor.
This community has a lot of needs. Playing fields with sports complex are just one of our needs. But it’s a big one. The recent drama over soccer fields is an example. That trip to Liberty Park last week reminded me of the original Liberty Park Master Plan that showed a sports complex south of the Zinc Plant Road bridge. It’s time.
Mayor Durrett, you and the county can take the lead on that just like you did the Civic Plaza that is about to be built downtown. Come up with the plan, figure out the cost, and ask the City Council to pony up for part of it just like they did the Plaza. That is a recipe that needs to be repeated over and over again. If the City Mayor wants to check out, it’s bad, but it can be overcome. The Plaza funding demonstrated the Council can get business done in partnership with the county in spite of McMillan’s efforts to derail a project.
Mayor Durrett you have to take the lead and essentially be the defacto Mayor of both governments so we can make some progress. Here is that early park rendering. With some vision and leadership now, in two years it could be in full use too. I think the county is going to have to tackle jobs like this and more. Trenton Road and Rossview Road traffic in front of the schools is another big problem looking for a leader to step up. Help!
Jim, you probably didn’t run for County Mayor thinking you would have to get into some of these issues. But it looks like it’s you or nothing is going to happen. About 80 percent of the county residents are in the city too. So you really are our Mayor too. It’s time.
Submitted by Jeff Robinson, Owner – Blackhorse Pub and Brewery