Community group seeks county OK for Storybook Trail at Station Camp

A community committee asked the Sumner County commission committee on June 2 for permission to install a Storybook Trail at the Station Camp three‑way and for limited help from county maintenance with post installation.

The request matters because the group said it will fully fund the project’s materials and installation if the county will allow the trail on county right‑of‑way and if county maintenance will set the posts in concrete. “They will fully fund that project from beginning to end,” Charlotte Hollis said, identifying herself as a representative of the local Storybook Trail group. She asked only for permission to place posts and for county crews to do the hole‑digging and concrete work.

On the trail’s design and upkeep, Hollis described panels placed at child height along a half‑mile route and said the group and civic partners would handle ongoing cleaning, panel replacement and vandalism repairs. She said existing trails elsewhere use about 18–22 panels and usually display a single book at a time; the group intends to rotate books countywide so multiple sites are not stuck with the same text. “We would be in charge…along with other community partners and civic clubs that we are going to partner with,” Hollis said.

Commissioners asked practical questions about timing, budget impact and content controls. Commissioner Clark noted the county’s budget timeline and suggested any county labor or concrete work might not be scheduled until the next fiscal year; he also confirmed that final approval of any recurring county cost would require broader commission action. The committee also asked for assurances about content selection and approval; Hollis said the group can provide a pre‑screened list of titles and will help coordinate book choices with the committee.

Committee members agreed to return the item to the committee in July with a short recommendation and a list of proposed books. The group will supply sample titles and a recommended governance process for swapping panels; the committee did not vote to commit county crews this meeting.

The project, if approved, would be privately funded for materials, with county maintenance asked only to set posts and concrete; the committee requested a short written proposal, recommended book list and a maintenance plan when the group returns next month.

The committee placed the item on next month’s agenda for a follow‑up report and possible recommendation to the full commission.