A 10-year-old mistake in selling a city park bought with federal money will mean taxpayers will have to pay double to get a new park.
Danny Thornton, director of general services, told the City Council today that the city sold a park in Ridgedale in 2003 that had been bought with federal funds. The city was not allowed to sell that land because of the federal funding, he said.
The city sold the park to McCallie School for $200,000. Now the federal government has ordered the city to acquire a replacement parcel.
Thornton said that means the city must look for another piece of property in the general vicinity at comparable market value, which would mean about $400,000.
During its regularly scheduled business meeting tonight, the council is set to vote on authorizing Thornton to look for the property.
For more information, read tomorrow’s Times Free Press.
Cliff has worked for the Times Free Press for five years and covers Chattanooga city government. He previously covered Rhea County, as well as transportation and growth and development in Southeast Tennessee. A native of Maryville, Tenn., Cliff graduated in 2003 from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis on journalism. Before coming to Chattanooga, he was a crime reporter with Hernando Today, a supplement of The Tampa (Fla.) ...
