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Beautification and Arts Advisory Committee re-elects vice chair, defers Greenway expansion funding and weighs pavilion, cleanup
Summary
At its May 19 meeting, the Beautification and Arts Advisory Committee re-elected Tabitha Howard as vice chair, reviewed plans for a 1.3-mile Greenway extension and engineering funding moved to fiscal 2026–27, and discussed a smaller pavilion at Hurricane Creek Ramp plus coordinated trash cleanups and more frequent meetings.
The Beautification and Arts Advisory Committee on May 19 re-elected Tabitha Howard as vice chair and discussed delaying major Greenway expansion work while pursuing smaller amenities and coordinating community cleanups.
Committee members said engineering work for the proposed Greenway extension — described in the meeting as a roughly 1.3-mile trail from the roundabout to the boat ramp on Stones River Road with a parking lot and future fishing piers — will be funded in the city’s 2026–27 fiscal budget, with engineering fees estimated at about $400,000 to $410,000.
Chair (Beautification and Arts Advisory Committee) opened the Greenway discussion and asked Andrew to summarize the plan. Andrew described the project as “a 1.3 mile extension from the roundabout down to the boat ramp that is located on Stones River Road,” saying the initial phase would be the walking trail and a parking lot with potential future features such as fishing piers and a pavilion.
Andrew said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had raised conditions for certain features. “We had originally talked about a kayak launch. The corps had came back and said if we basically wanted to do that, then we would have to take on all the responsibilities of maintaining the parking lot,” he said.
Committee members said the city’s capital priorities have shifted toward infrastructure improvements elsewhere, including the South Waldron Corridor and Broadway-area work. The chair summarized that the board was “shying away from following through with Greenway expansion” for now so funding could go to other infrastructure needs.
Given that shift, members discussed pursuing a smaller, lower-maintenance amenity at the Hurricane Creek Ramp — for example, a pavilion or picnic area closer to the roadway — as an interim benefit to the community. Andrew cautioned that even a pavilion could trigger permitting and maintenance obligations and that the Corps or other permitting authorities might require the city to assume broader financial responsibility for the ramp (paving, trash collection, mowing, and the ramp structure itself).
Committee members also identified interim, volunteer-driven steps to improve conditions. One member proposed organizing a trash-pickup day; another suggested partnering with the city’s stormwater program and contacting Alexandra Thompson, who is on the stormwater team and has organized creek cleanups in the past. The committee discussed seeking corporate sponsors and using dumpsters and portable restrooms for larger cleanups.
Members moved to increase meeting frequency from every four months to meeting every other month to enable greater follow-through on projects; the group reached agreement to meet more often and set the next meeting in July to firm up a trash-pickup date and to follow up on whether funds exist to pursue a pavilion.
Votes at a glance: the committee approved the minutes from the previous meeting by voice vote; it also re-elected Tabitha Howard as vice chair by voice vote. The committee agreed by voice to increase meeting frequency to every other month and delegated Ashley to coordinate with Alexandra Thompson on a cleanup date.
The committee said it will return to the Greenway expansion discussion if and when BOMA or the city’s capital budget provides funds to complete the project beyond engineering and permitting work. Andrew said that after engineering and permitting are complete, “BOMA would have to approve funding for the actual project.”
The committee set a target to report progress and a proposed cleanup date at its next meeting in July; an exact July date discussed in the meeting (July 20 or 21) was not finalized in the transcript.
Ending: Committee members said they will pursue short-term cleanup and outreach steps, confirm dates and sponsorships for a trash pickup, and check with city staff about whether pavilion or ramp work could be funded; the committee’s next meeting was set for July to follow up.
