The East Ridge City Council meeting was dominated by concerns about the expansion of soccer fields that are under construction in Camp Jordan Park. Assistant City Manager Kenny Custer told the commissioners and residents that came to the meeting in opposition to the project that in the early 2000’s the original concept for that part of the park was to create a regional soccer complex because the location is easily accessible. Drawings were done at that time.
City Manager Chris Dorsey gave the timeline that led up to the construction in response to citizens' concerns that the area is too close to their homes that back up to it. He said that the city had acquired the land in question for these fields in 1992 for recreational use. It is not a passive park, he said. The first plans for 13-14 fields were laid out in 2001. In 2005 another small strip of land was purchased when a conceptual plan was created that shows the whole park and fields. In 2019 there was a map showing the fields there and in January 2019 a Request for Qualification was issued. From January until August last year the council made an agreement for the site design and sent the project out to bid which was approved in September when financing was authorized for the field construction.
He said the reason for locating them at that place in the park include its proximity to existing infrastructure and because fields are an acceptable use for areas that are flood prone since they are able to recover. Lighting is not in the first phase of the project, but will be in the future. LED lighting is not as intrusive as old lighting, he said. The closest point to adjacent property is 68.8 feet to the edge of one of the fields.
Five residents who live on Jordan Run Road next to that side of the park spoke at the meeting about the fields and their opposition to them. Most said they had been unaware of plans for the soccer fields. Robbie Burgess spoke for the neighborhood listing concerns that echoed comments from the last meeting on Nov. 12 when it was on the agenda. He said there had been no communication to residents about the construction so close to their homes. He is concerned with noise and light and the over 200,000 people who visit the park annually who he said would be in his back yard. He believes that a set-back precedent was established in the 1980’s when baseball fields were build next to a neighborhood. He listed flooding and pollution of the Chickamauga Creek that is troubling, and asked for the work to be stopped. One speaker was concerned with the removal of trees for wildlife habitat, especially since so many were cut with the construction of Jordan Crossing. Another speaker said she is unable to sell her house because of the close proximity to the new fields and because of the piles of dirt next to her property. She said that she feels that the council members should fight for the residents.
Councilman Jacky Cagle made a motion to put a stoppage on the work until a way to make it easier for the neighbors is found. That motion failed due to the lack of a second.
In other business, Police Chief Stan Allen said that an area along Ringgold Road around Keeble Street and San Hsi Drive has long been designated as a school zone with lights to slow traffic, although it is only for a bus stop. It is nowhere near Spring Creek Elementary, he said, and is dangerous because drivers have to look down to make sure they are traveling at 15 mph. The council was informed that area will no longer be considered a school zone and lights will be removed.
Three appointments were made to the East Ridge beer board. David Thomas and Leonard Ezell were reappointed. Carnell Storey was reappointed as the chair person of the board. Dr. Jessica Crow and Ann Waterhouse were reappointed to the East Ridge Library board.
The council voted to donate a 2009 Chevrolet Impala police vehicle to the Alhambra Shrine in Chattanooga that will be used in parades and for taking photos of children.
The city received an unqualified opinion in the yearly audit from 2020 from Henderson Hutcheson and McCullough.