A citizen-led initiative to create a new river access and possible community park in Hampton picked up some steam Thursday afternoon as the Carter County Board of Education voted unanimously to donate a parcel of land to the county with some stipulations.
The parcel of land is located on U.S. Highway 19E across from Hampton High School and is currently owned by the Carter County School System. With support from some county officials, including Mayor Leon Humphrey, volunteers with the IDEAS Group are hoping to work with the county to develop the land into something special for the community. The Group’s primary plan is to install a launch there for use by boats, kayaks, and tubes, but the area could also be used by fishermen or as a roadside park.
During Thursday’s meeting of the BOE, Board Member LaDonna Stout-Boone made a motion for the school system to donate the property to the County, with the County paying any costs or fees associated with the transfer of the land and the re-deeding process. Boone-Stout amended her motion to include language in the donation agreement that would allow the school system to use the property as overflow parking for games or other special events if needed.
Upon the advice of the Board’s Attorney John Banks, Stout-Boone further amended her motion to also include a requirement that the County also pay for a survey to be completed on the property.
Banks said he was advising the survey be completed because he believes the parcel of land in question is part of a larger plat previously purchased by the school system and a survey would be needed in order to carve that parcel out of the total property.
A survey would also help determine the actual bounds of the property as well as what right of ways exist on it due to it being located next to the highway.
“When you deal with real property, you want to know exactly what you are conveying,” Banks said.
Banks also suggested the Board require that the donation be brought back before them to be finalized once a survey is complete in case there are any issues discovered during the survey.
Board Member Kelly Crain, who represents the county’s 6th District which includes Hampton, voiced his support for the donation and the county’s proposal for the land.
“I think it will be a great thing to clean that up and make it look good,” Crain said.
Members of the Board voted unanimously to approve the donation with the special stipulations. The matter will now go before the County Commission, which will vote to either accept the property with the stipulations or reject the donation.