By Ryan Lewis
Correspondent
JASPER, Tenn. — The good news is that a baseball field complex and recreational park in the heart of Jasper has been drawing more people to the area.
The bad news is that it has been drawing more people to the area and parking is now an issue.
At the April meeting of the Jasper Board of Mayor and Aldermen, officials discussed the problem and a possible solution.
Jasper Parks and Recreation Director Darrell Layne said the main parking area for the city’s Recreational Park is oddly shaped, and that seems to cause drivers difficulty.
“It’s egg-shaped, and people don’t know how to park.” he said. “Across the street (in the overflow lot), we never have a problem because it’s square. When you look (at the main parking lot), it looks like the cars were dropped out of the sky.”
Mr. Layne said parking in the area has become a huge dilemma, especially for handicapped drivers. He said it’s not unusual for cars to be parked five or six deep in the lot.
A solution to the problems in the main parking lot may be coming soon, officials said.
Jasper Mayor Billy Simpson, who serves on the board for the Sequatchie Valley Railroad, said some old crossties are being donated to the town that could be used to square off the gravel lot, making it easier for people to figure out where to park.
“We’d like to put them down in rows, so they can park and still leave a lane,” said Alderman Leon Rash about using the railroad support beams. “Right now, they’re parking at angles and blocking people in. It’s a complete mess.”
Mr. Simpson said he hopes the first load of crossties will be delivered late this week.
“We’ve talked about this at length,” he said. “This is one alternative that we’ll try. If this doesn’t work, we’ll move on to something else. But it’s a starting point to get some of these things donated to us.”
Mr. Layne said he hopes the crossties will help, but the simplest answer may be best.
“If people used common sense, it would help a lot,” he said.
Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.