Piperton advisory board backs restroom-focused TDEC grant application; residents urge saving white barns

The Piperton Parks and Recreation Advisory Board voted unanimously on Jan. 13, 2026, to recommend that the Board of Mayor and Commissioners apply for a Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) park grant to build restroom facilities, staff said. Vice‑Mayor Mike Binkley moved the recommendation and Mr. Blair Etz seconded; the motion received all affirmative votes.

Public Works Director Richard Mills told the board that the TDEC application window opened Jan. 1 and that an intent letter must be filed by noon the following day. "I must have the intent letter in by noon tomorrow to TDEC on what we want to apply for," Mills said, and he recommended restrooms rather than pursuing a second trail grant before the current trail work begins.

Mills said the city could apply for multiple restroom buildings and confirmed the restrooms would be tied into the sewer system: "there will not be any septic system onsite," he said. He cautioned that existing barn buildings would not qualify for grant funds unless they were brought into ADA compliance; staff said grant‑writer assistance and further guidance from TDEC would be sought to clarify eligibility and standards.

The board also heard an update on the current trail grant. Mills said the project cleared the Planning Commission last month and that staff will submit the approved meeting minutes to TDEC to obtain a contract; once the contract is in place, he said the city would hire a design firm and expects to recommend Dalhoff Thomas Design for the work.

During public comment, resident Charlotte Johnson urged officials to keep the two white barn buildings on the site, calling them "a tradition of Piperton." Vice‑Mayor Binkley said the board shares an interest in preserving one or both barns if feasible, and Mayor Henry Coats said he believed most residents want to keep the buildings. Fire Chief Reed Bullock said he is working on a plan that could fund preservation, while Mills noted that preserving the barns might mean excluding them from the park grant if they cannot meet grant requirements.

The meeting packet recorded two prior procedural motions that passed by unanimous vote: adoption of the meeting agenda and approval of minutes from a prior August 2025 special session (the minutes reference in the transcript lists both Aug. 19 and Aug. 13; see clarifying details). The board adjourned at 5:50 p.m.

Next steps: staff will send the approved minutes to TDEC to secure the contract, work with a grant writer to finalize the application, and return to the advisory board as work progresses and design decisions are required.