Council sends farmhouse community‑center fee policy back to Parks & Rec after debate over senior hours

The Town of Oak Ridge Town Council on Dec. 5 discussed a proposed facility-fee schedule and usage policy for the newly completed farmhouse community center and directed staff and the Parks and Recreation board to revise the proposal and return it to the council.

Parks and Recreation presented a written policy that would allow resident seniors (65 and older in the draft) two hours per week of rent-free use during designated weekday hours, require $1,000,000 liability insurance for events serving alcohol, and set rental rates modeled on nearby towns. Adrian Eckenrod, a Parks and Rec board member, said the board compared rates with other facilities before recommending the proposal and emphasized the policy should be a "living document" because usage is unknown until the center opens.

"The only liability, which any individual is already gonna have gone through those, you know, those steps if they are, you know, a facility that's serving alcohol," Eckenrod said, describing the insurance clarification in the draft.

Council members debated several details, including whether the rent-free senior hours should be offered as an "introductory" period (six to 12 months) to allow the town to collect usage data and whether the hours should end earlier in the day so the center remains available for after-school programs. Councilman Harton recommended an introductory data‑gathering period and asked Parks and Rec to report back with usage findings at six and 12 months; Councilman Stone proposed limiting free senior hours to 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Monday–Wednesday to protect afternoon availability for other groups.

Multiple commenters from the community urged the council to treat seniors and youth equitably and cautioned against restrictive rules that would discourage general use. Caroline Ruck, a Parks and Rec member and speaker, said the proposal "is not offered at the exclusion of anyone else's use" and that the free hours are intended to promote community use.

After discussion, the council voted to return the facility fee schedule and farmhouse community center policy to Parks and Rec and staff to incorporate council comments and bring a revised draft back to the council. The motion carried with the required votes; council members asked staff to circulate revisions promptly and recommended Parks and Rec report usage data to the council during the first year of operation.

Why it matters: The farmhouse community center is a new town amenity; how the town balances free access for seniors with paid rentals for youth leagues, private events and nonresidents will affect usage, staff workload and town revenue.

What's next: Staff will circulate a revised draft to Parks and Rec and council, incorporating the council's requested changes (shorter senior windows, an explicit data‑collection and reporting schedule and clarifications on insurance and cleaning expectations). The council said it expects a revised policy before the center opens to the public.