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Residents deliver petition, urge council to protect Enterprise South Nature Park
Summary
Speakers representing Save Enterprise South Nature Park told the council they have gathered nearly 9,000 petition signatures opposing proposals to transfer or develop portions of parkland; presenters said a drive‑time analysis shows the park serves many more city residents than the lands proposed for deed exchange.
Multiple residents addressed the Chattanooga City Council Oct. 28 urging protection of Enterprise South Nature Park and opposing proposed land disposition or swaps that would reduce the park’s acreage.
Nathan Griffin, a co‑founder of Save Enterprise South Nature Park and a resident who lives adjacent to the park, told the council the group had collected “nearly 9,000” petition signatures in just over two weeks. Griffin said the group conducted a drive‑time accessibility study using U.S. Census and GIS data and found roughly 182,000 residents live within 20 minutes of Enterprise South Nature Park, whereas only about 5,000 residents live within the same drive time of the land proposed in a deed exchange. He argued that the two parklands serve different communities and that moving recreation far north “would dramatically reduce residents who can reach and enjoy it.”
Elspeth Haire, also a co‑founder, urged the council to use the same leadership that secured Chattanooga’s National Park City designation to protect Enterprise South, saying the organization was fielding more emails and engagement than expected. Other speakers, including Charles Tanner (a pastor and resident) and Steve Patterson (a recent transplant from Virginia Beach), echoed concerns that carving parkland for industrial or other development would undermine Chattanooga’s identity as a city that offers broad public access to green space.
No formal action was taken during the public‑comment period; speakers requested that councilmembers and the administration prioritize preservation of Enterprise South Nature Park and consider alternative locations for industrial expansion that do not reduce city park access.
