City of Red Bank Parks and Recreation staff said they will prepare an LWCF (Land and Water Conservation Fund) conversion packet to restore the city’s eligibility for federal and state recreation grants after a 2011 land swap left the city out of compliance.

Jeffrey Grama, who identified himself as with the City of Red Bank Parks and Recreation, told residents the city received an LWCF grant in 1971 and later transferred 14 acres to the Hamilton County Department of Education in 2011 for a new middle school on Tom Weathers Drive. "Because of that, we are currently out of compliance with the original LWCF agreement," Grama said, explaining the conversion packet is intended to satisfy replacement requirements and restore eligibility for future grants.

The city has identified two candidate replacement properties: the Hixson property at 4839 Dayton Boulevard and a portion of the former Red Bank Middle School property at 3715 Dayton Boulevard. To prepare professional site plans that meet LWCF requirements, Grama said the city selected Kimley-Horn through a competitive RFP. "Our goal is to create designs that are both practical, fundable, and truly reflect the needs of the community while meeting those federal requirements," said Alicia Elle, landscape architect with Kimley-Horn.

Elle said the former Red Bank Bridal School site will use the Small Area Study as a foundation for design work, while the Hixson site will be developed from a 'blank canvas' using the city's park and recreation master plan and community input. Grama emphasized resident participation: both properties will have opportunities for public input before the city submits final designs.

The city scheduled two public engagement opportunities: December 6 at the Traffic Garden Jams at the Hixson property from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and December 13 at the Red Bank Christmas Parade and Festival from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. "So come stop by and say hello to Alicia and the Kimley Horn team," Grama said.

According to Kimley-Horn, once the final designs are complete and approved they will be submitted in the LWCF conversion packet to TDEC (Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation) and then to the National Park Service, which the city said is necessary to move forward with federal grant funding. The discussion in this briefing was informational; no council vote or formal board action was recorded. The city invited continued community input as it advances the conversion packet and design work.