The County Commission on Wednesday approved spending $101,483 with a consultant group to study the condition of a farm pond at the McDonald Farm at Sale Creek.
Todd Leamon, public works administrator, said the county is being required to make the study by TDEC. He said there is concern that the existing pond could fail.
Mr. Leamon said the county might eventually decide to shore up the dam or to eliminate the pond. He said there are significant costs with both options.
He also said that a stream runs through that location, and the county would be required to retain the stream and a buffer area.
Commissioner David Sharpe said the property was mainly acquired for economic development, and that should be a priority over setting it aside as a park.
Commissioner Warren Mackey said, "We bought that land for economic development and not for a park."
Commissioner Steve Highlander, citing his agricultural background, said where there is a stream there is bottomland. He said bottomland is generally not considered conducive for pad development.
He said he was told it would cost $700,000 to take down the pond.
County Mayor Weston Wamp said there was a commitment to preserve the McDonald homeplace and nearby 50 areas.
He said the pond being considered is a small one.
Mr. Wamp said it is going to require some $200 million in expenditures for infrastructure to fully develop the site that the county bought for $16 million.
Christy Cooper, administrator of general services, said when former County Mayor Jim Coppinger led in the acquisition of the site "his interest was always to retain some part of it as a park."
She noted that when the Enterprise South Industrial Park was set up that 2,800 acres were kept as a park.
The contract is with Geosyntec Consultants.