Future of Sterchi Farm area of greenway up for public discussion

A fleet of green bicycles sat unmanned late Tuesday morning in a pasture just below the parking lot across from the Waterhaven subdivision on Harrison Pike.

Near the bikes, a group of about 20 German exchange students relaxed under a grove of trees at this 24-acre area known as Sterchi Farm before continuing their ride along the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway.

“This is lovely,” said Uli Lange, one of the cyclists. “It’s the perfect day for such an adventure.”

If the planning process for Sterchi Farm continues as expected, gatherings may become the norm and not the exception at this historic East Chattanooga parcel that serves as an easy access point to the greenway and creek.

The Trust for Public Land is hosting a community input session Thursday with the City of Chattanooga to gather public feedback on design concepts for Sterchi Farm that could make it a prominent landmark along the developing greenway.

“The intent behind this planning process is that we want to improve that property for more community use,” said local Trust for Public Land program director Noel Durant. “We really want to provide some more traditional recreational benefits of open space to the property, and pair that with the recreational use of the greenway.”

W.M. Whitaker & Associates is the project’s design firm and is presenting concepts at the community input meeting.

Sterchi Farm historically served as an agricultural area, perhaps even dating back to American Indian inhabitance of the area, Noel said.

The Trail of Tears crossed the South Chickamauga Creek at Sterchi Farm, which eventually became a dairy farm owned by Chattanooga’s Sterchi family, whose descendents have been engaged in the planning process.

The Trust for Public Land acquired the land in the early 2000s and transferred it to the city of Chattanooga.

A barn built on the property in the early 1900s was torn down last week. But a silo believed to have been built with the rocks from a local tunnel still stands.

“It is our intent to keep the silo,” Durant said. “That’s our goal. We’re working with a structural engineer to come up with recommendations on stabilizing it and making sure it stays, because it’s such an iconic part of the greenway.”

A rebuilt barn-like structure – designed and constructed with help from the Chattanooga Woodworking Academy – would serve as a park pavilion and anchor the property, according to early proposals.

“I like the idea of Sterchi serving as a destination for not only outdoor recreational use, but maybe some historical preservation,” Outdoor Chattanooga programs director Terri Chapin said.

Chapin led Tuesday’s ride with the German group. She added that Sterchi Farm could be a place where local school groups come to both play and learn.

Features like a playground and picnic tables are possibilities, but likely would be engineered to fit the desired feel for the area, Durant said.

“I think one of the elements we want to work on is how we integrate those traditional park elements into a design that speaks to the rich traditional history of that place,” he said. “It may be a different design aesthetic so that it really captures that tone and the culture that has been there for so long.”

Durant said the Benwood Foundation has funded the completion of the master plan and that funding is in place to develop some of the construction documents. Funds for construction have not been fully raised yet.

The hope, he said, is to have the design set by the beginning of 2017 and to then look toward construction.

When the final 3-mile stretch of the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway is completed, the greenway will run uninterrupted between Camp Jordan in East Ridge and the Tennessee Riverwalk, creating a 25-mile, 270-degree arc of multi-use path stretching from St. Elmo to East Ridge.

Contact staff writer David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.