Sunshine, At Long Last.
Here's a recap of last night's Public Enterprise Committee Meeting as far as CCOF is concerned.
There is a draft lease with Carnton for 10 acres. Carnton will be required to run a "first class" interpretive center. Carnton will also be responsible for the renovation of the clubhouse to be the interpretive center or construction of the interpretive center. It was the concensus of the committee that Carnton will not be allowed to charge an admission fee for visitors to the battlefield park or to the interpretive center, although Carnton will still be able to charge a fee to enter the Carnton property. If Carnton ever fails to operate the "first class interpretive center," that will be a default under the lease and the City will resume possession of the premises. There is still work to be done to make clear what Carnton's responsibility is under the lease.
Assuming that there should be an interpretive center at the property, it makes sense to me to allow Carnton to operate such a thing. This relieves the city of the burden of doing it.
On the professional services agreement front, all professional services agreements that cost the city any money were rejected last night by the committee. The only PSA that will be entered by the city at this time is for a zero cost archeological survey conducted by a professor and, I presume, his students, from MTSU. This MTSU group is apparently extremely qualified and able to satisfy the requirements of the Battlefield Protection Program for further grants.
I anticipate that in the coming months, the committee will consider an agenda item that is more or less, “discussion regarding issuing requests for qualifications for professional services required at CCOF property.”
I, for one, am glad that a committee of the City of Franklin has finally been able to see and discuss the various plans for this endeavor. I am also glad that the committee has slowed down what appeared to me to be an unnecessary rush regarding executing this project. Finally, I am glad that the various players in this mix have finally embraced the warmth of the sun. I look for it to remain sunny, at least anywhere I go.
There is a draft lease with Carnton for 10 acres. Carnton will be required to run a "first class" interpretive center. Carnton will also be responsible for the renovation of the clubhouse to be the interpretive center or construction of the interpretive center. It was the concensus of the committee that Carnton will not be allowed to charge an admission fee for visitors to the battlefield park or to the interpretive center, although Carnton will still be able to charge a fee to enter the Carnton property. If Carnton ever fails to operate the "first class interpretive center," that will be a default under the lease and the City will resume possession of the premises. There is still work to be done to make clear what Carnton's responsibility is under the lease.
Assuming that there should be an interpretive center at the property, it makes sense to me to allow Carnton to operate such a thing. This relieves the city of the burden of doing it.
On the professional services agreement front, all professional services agreements that cost the city any money were rejected last night by the committee. The only PSA that will be entered by the city at this time is for a zero cost archeological survey conducted by a professor and, I presume, his students, from MTSU. This MTSU group is apparently extremely qualified and able to satisfy the requirements of the Battlefield Protection Program for further grants.
I anticipate that in the coming months, the committee will consider an agenda item that is more or less, “discussion regarding issuing requests for qualifications for professional services required at CCOF property.”
I, for one, am glad that a committee of the City of Franklin has finally been able to see and discuss the various plans for this endeavor. I am also glad that the committee has slowed down what appeared to me to be an unnecessary rush regarding executing this project. Finally, I am glad that the various players in this mix have finally embraced the warmth of the sun. I look for it to remain sunny, at least anywhere I go.
posted by Alderman Dana McLendon at 12:02 PM
19 Comments:
I got the free admission to the interpretive center - do you mean an admission fee to enter the ENTIRE battlefield property, or the 10 acres?
If it's the entire property, that's a lot of dormant, unused land . . .
There's a lot of "dormant, unused land" in the Smokeys -- and in Yellowstone, for that matter. Is that a bad thing?
The Committee's consensus is that we do not intend there will be an admission fee to the park or the interpretive center. Carnton can continue to charge an entry fee to Carnton, that's there prerogative, but neither the park nor the interpretive center will require an admission fee.
To anon @3:03,
I was implying that if the entire battlefield was "fenced in," it would lead to a dormant state that was in essence, self-imposed.
I hope that in the nicer months of the year, the (majority of) the park is freely accessible.
What's the criteria for a "first class interpretive center?"
What controls are used to determine this?
The committee understands that we have to bring clarity to this crucial term. Any suggestions?
We haven't gotten to the level of detail to know whether the park will be fenced. My thought is that it should not be fenced.
I hit the wrong button on the post at 4:09.
Anyway, that's a tough one: how do you quantify "first class" and what's the standard for interpretive centers, especially ones that are "first class."
I'll have to think on that.
The park should open the residents and public year round - they're paying for it.
There are ladies walking the linx trails every morning when I drive by. The mission should be 'open to all.' If it's inviting now, let's keep it that way.
A “First-class interpretive center” should be able to excavate all my Titleist Two’s over by 17(should be several dozen). If they wish to interpret these and make a display in the “Golf Course Era” room you have my permission. Please let me know if you want me to send a picture or autograph. (Some might be a little dinged up)
Fencing the property will be another high cost for the tax payers. There would be no need to fence since all it will be is a large weed field. Remember, the property has to be returned to the same condition it was in 1864 when the battle was fought a mile or so away. The weeds will grow and the vermin will come in. This also means the “linx” trails will be removed so there will be no ladies walking in the early morning unless they want to walk through tall weeds.
It can not qualify as a battlefield if the grass is cut and maintained in a park like condition.
There will be no need to fence the property. No one except the battle re-enactors will want to use the property.
That's a great point Bob.
It would be interesting to see how exacting or stringent national rules (or whatever they are called) are for exactly what you can do to "your battlefield."
Perhaps an overlay, similar to the Hincheyville One-Story Pumpkin Overlay?
Dana, who determines how such rules will apply and if Franklin meets the standards?
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Dana, a few questions?
Who is going to take care of (maintain) the property in a week after the golf club bails?
Will it all just grow up until the city closes on it?
When the city does close on it do they have the manpower and funding to maintain it?
How will it be maintained?
If the city is selling the sod, is Heller going to let them go ahead and dig it up or are they going to wait until after closing (when it's dead) to dig it up?
Have the Hellers even agreed to AND signed the contract? (Is there a binding contract with contingencies or NO contract at all?) Understand there was still discussion on their part about ridding the prop. of the beavers and paying closing costs.
Has the earnest money been deposited?
DANA We the beaver are going to stay. We were there first!!!
I may be coming in the tail end of this issue but I have a few questions. Does Franklin Charge have their portion of the money to bring to the table at closing? What happens in the event the entire portion of their money can not be raised? If you have covered this already I apologize. Thank you
Dana, who determines how such rules will apply and if Franklin meets the standards?
The city expects to see a proposed conservation easement from the Battlefield Protection Program in the immediate future. The BPP is part of the National Park Service. I would think the conservation easement will spell out more detail about the standards for maintenance. Even the Mayor has acknowledged the proposed easement could be onerous, perhaps even too onerous. We'll see.
Who is going to take care of (maintain) the property in a week after the golf club bails?
Will it all just grow up until the city closes on it?
The City will maintain (mow) the property after closing. I suggested to the city staff at the meeting that we obtain permission to enter the property during November for the purpose of maintaining the property. I hope the Hellers will grant that permission.
When the city does close on it do they have the manpower and funding to maintain it?
How will it be maintained?
The Parks department will maintain the property. The Parks Department recently bought several pieces of equipment from CCOF for this purpose. "Maintain" as far as I can tell means mow.
If the city is selling the sod, is Heller going to let them go ahead and dig it up or are they going to wait until after closing (when it's dead) to dig it up?
I don't know anything about selling sod from the property. I certainly hope we are not selling any sod or doing anything else that could compromise the archaeological survey.
Have the Hellers even agreed to AND signed the contract? (Is there a binding contract with contingencies or NO contract at all?)
I don't know. The city, over my objection, approved the contract on 11 October.
Understand there was still discussion on their part about ridding the prop. of the beavers and paying closing costs.
The contract requires the sellers to remove the beavers.
There is still negotiation over closing costs.
Has the earnest money been deposited?
I don't know.
Dana,
I understand that there has to be a bill passed by both houses before the national parks board can do anything at all. Their first step is supposedly a study as to whether or not it qualifies as battlefield land.
One of the people I heard this from is Tom Miller; of course I am not sure of how good a source he is.
Where are we in this process?
Tom was one of the people who advised me the land had to be restored to its 1864 condition.
There are a lot of references on Google concerning the Federal requirements. I don’t feel like wasting time to read through all the information. What I have seen though is the Parks Board is very rigid in their requirements. I do not think the CCOF land will pass the test.
I have heard from several sources that the grass on the greens is sold. There was also an article in the Heritage AM in which the parks director discussed the sale issue and also the possibility of using the grass on the greens as patches for other city parks. Either way it won’t cause hurt anything in the archeological dig. There is nothing there, nothing happened on this land. Many, many thousands of rounds of golf have been played there. I played golf and did a lot of socializing with old and new members. The only possible archeological finds I have heard of were white, dimpled, rifle balls manufactured by Titleist, Top Flight, etc. Some of the newer ones had strange swooshes on them. Rumor has it they were high tech and associated with a “General Woods”
I would like to see an ordinance stating the city would set up a separate profit and loss statement for the battlefield. All expenses and income associated with this property should be posted to this account. This way we will know the effect on the city budget.
The way I see it we are over 2.5 million in the hole. Cutting the grass, tearing up the cart paths, removing the sprinkler system, the tennis courts, etc will put us even deeper in debt. It is going to take a lot of tourists to make up this deficit.
Also, next Monday would have been the fifth anniversary of our Carnton Friends for Life Cancer fund-raiser. We would have raised over $30,000.00. Please pass an ordinance proposing the city donate $30,000 to the American Cancer Society in the name of the people who beat this killer and those who did not. What’s another $30,000?
Bob is right.
It's going to take a lot of fake Johnny Reb' hats, cheap plastic confederate flags made in Taiwan, and other trinkets to make up the money spent on this endeavor.
Still a lot of unanswered questions and problems with the contract.
Ship me a copy. I love the UCC!
Now that we know that the purchase of CCOF was all about Carnton and NOT because of a battlefield (sorry about that contributors and NO you cant have your money back) let’s take a look at what it is we’re getting into.
In the 1860 US Census Rod Heller’s ancestor, John McGavock owns 44 slaves, 16 of which are listed as “M” for mulatto (Mixed race parentage). Undoubtedly the largest slaver in all of Williamson County. His estate is valued at $339,000 (that’s 1860 money). Do you wonder on whose back this money was made? Do you wonder who dug those graves?
Even after the war the 1870 census shows at least 13 Ex-slaves at Carnton five are listed as mulatto and several carry the last name as “McGavock”. (Not that unusual) The question is “What in the world was this guy doing or allowing to be done to these people?”
Ever wonder why those eyewitnesses to the happenings at Carnton and those whose memories were very much intact allowed the property at Carnton to become dormant? They made a conscious decision to do so without the very clouded vision we now have for SOME reason.
Interpret, examine, excavate, evaluate all you want but if you ask me your opening a great big ‘ol can of worms.
I know how desperately these guys want to find a cannon ball at the golf course, but you must be ready to find something else—something unexpected—something to cut open a wound that many were just as desperately trying to heal. Don’t say you didn’t know or you weren’t warned.
If you want the facts, go to hellernot. (Little play on words there)
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