Potter Lane Project update

LISA HOBBS - News Editor

The city of McMinnville’s plans to develop property on Potter Lane into a park are taking shape.

McMinnville Public Works Department Director Lyndon Bussell says the project is 75 percent complete and that the project’s completion is slated for mid-September. Towards that deadline, he requested that the Streets and Sanitation Committee allow the purchase of landscape material.

“We looked at nurseries throughout Warren County to see which ones had the plant materials we needed. Every nursery had some or a little bit, but Easy Tree Nursery seemed to have the most under one roof. So, we are recommending going with them for $11,219. We still have 300 to 400 plants to purchase, but they are more wetland-related plants. We will have to outsource those, because no nursery here has those through our research.”

Committee members approved that request.

The new park will span two acres and will serve multiple purposes, including stormwater management, educational and recreational, a scenic walking trail, community garden and community orchard.

The park will act as a stormwater management area, incorporating several control measures, such as a detention pond, rain gardens, wetland gardens, and a permeable park area. Those features will ensure water is absorbed and detained on the property, thereby preventing issues that have previously affected residents and business owners.

In addition to stormwater control, the park will feature educational placards that offer informative signs explaining the stormwater management features and their roles.

The community orchard will contain 100 locally grown fruit trees, such as apples, peaches, pears, and plums, planted in the uppermost area of the park, while the community garden will be 10 raised planters for vegetables. All fruits and vegetables grown in the park will be freely accessible to the community.

Funding for the project comes from grants obtained from Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture totaling $542,750, with an additional $39,250 match for both grants.