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Tazewell leaders back Scheme C for Ramey Lot park; engineering and drainage study ordered
Summary
At a joint special meeting the Town of Tazewell IEA and council reviewed two conceptual designs for the six-acre Ramey Lot and signaled support for Scheme C, directing staff to pursue engineering, floodplain analysis and more detailed traffic and drainage studies before construction funding or final designs are sought.
Kevin Jones of Wind Architecture presented two updated conceptual schemes Tuesday for the Ramey Loft property, a roughly six-acre site the town owns, and council members signaled a preference to advance the version labeled Scheme C into the town's comprehensive planning and engineering phase.
Jones described Scheme C as a multifunctional layout that keeps existing rights-of-way, clusters activities around a large central field, and preserves smaller pockets for playgrounds, workout nodes and a loop trail. "It's a huge lot, which only fits so much on one piece of paper," Jones said while walking the room through the pack of sketches. He and others estimated the design could yield roughly 100 to 125 marked parking spaces, with overflow pushing the practical total closer to 140 depending on final layout and reuse of adjacent paved areas.
Why it matters: council and residents said turning the asphalt-covered site into a park would improve curb appeal and provide space for youth sports and community events. Kara Spivey, identified in the meeting as the IEA chair, said the drawings "crushed all of our feedback from our last month's meeting" and described the work as the conceptual first step before engineering.
Key constraints and next steps: multiple speakers stressed that drainage and floodplain constraints are the chief technical issues to resolve. A council member noted detention and wetlands on the parcel; Jones recommended a full survey and topography to determine base flood elevations and identify where limited grading or detention would be needed. Spivey said town council has allocated IDA funds to plan and pursue the project, and the group directed staff to commission preliminary engineering and a quantitative site analysis before any shovels hit the ground. "Town council allocated the IDA money in order to plan and pursue this project," Spivey said.
Community concerns and operations: residents and staff raised practical considerations, including ingress/egress for residents and service vehicles, snow-plow and trash-truck access, and ongoing maintenance. One attendee warned that "drug abuse problem would have to be addressed first" if the park were built; meeting participants said securing the site and clarifying maintenance responsibilities are separate tasks that must be addressed during later design phases.
Scheme comparison: Scheme D, also shown, reconfigures internal roads to produce a larger continuous green but would require moving utilities and more extensive civil work. Council members noted Scheme D's appeal as a large open space but questioned its practicality because of utility relocations, traffic geometry and potential impacts on nearby properties. Multiple participants said Scheme C better balances program objectives with existing underground infrastructure and access.
What happens next: council asked staff to include Scheme C in the town's five-year plan and to proceed with the engineering package (survey, topographic mapping, base flood elevation study, and traffic/egress analysis). No final design decisions or construction approvals were made at the meeting.
The IEA chair moved to adjourn; council member Justin made the motion, which was seconded by Lucy and Daniel, and the meeting was closed after a voice vote.
