SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Some Sullivan County commissioners want to terminate the county’s lease with the Tennessee Valley Authority and stop operating Observation Knob Park.
Commissioner Joe Carr explained the reason for this proposal.
“We’ve got a lot of expenditures coming up, building a new jail, that’s just not something we can afford at this time,” said Carr.
Observation Knob has electrical issues that need to be fixed that cost more than the county can handle, Carr says.
“Once they get in and start looking at it there’s no telling how much it will cost,” Carr said. “We’ve heard between $18,000 to as much as like $500,000.”
Seasonal visitors of the park have already been notified to vacate the lot by March 15 after county Mayor Richard Venable announced changes that will be made to the park.
Rebecca Borowski has been coming to the campground for what would have been her 13th year.
“This property isn’t just a campground,” Borowski said. “Moving these people out, this is what made this place.”
Borowski said it breaks her heart to see people go.
“I mean it’s a community, you know everybody helped each other and stuff,” she said.
Carr said the push to terminate the lease has to do with people at the park complaining.
“A lot of people started coming to the commission with complaints about how the park was being ran,” Carr said. “Electrical issues, maintenance issues, and so they really brought it to our attention then.”
Borowski said that even if the spring season opens up again she will not be coming back.
“They are taking the fun out of camping and family,” said Borowski. “People are making families in a community out here and they are worrying more about the money.”
Carr said managing the park shouldn’t be a county issue.
“The business of county government isn’t to be in the park business, its something that should be left to the private sector,” Carr said.
The resolution is expected to come up during the commission’s March 16 meeting.
