Just a few months removed from the planning phase, work is set to begin a piece of property located in Carter County.
After receiving the OK from county government, various individuals from the community will take part in a work day on Saturday, April 8, to clean up the area located on US 19 off the highway — across the road from Hampton High School — which is planned to be used as a river access point for individuals looking to take in the scenic views of the Doe River.
First pursued by the IDEAs Group, momentum from the project began to snowball with support from various entities, including the Carter County Parks & Recreation Department, Carter County Commission, Carter County Board of Education and other groups, including the Appalachian Paddling Enthusiasts (APES).
“It’s a huge reward seeing how quickly this moved through each of the different committees and boards,” Metin Eryasa, work day coordinator and IDEAs group member, said. “We’re happy to see the support and we’re ready to get to work.”
Volunteer opportunities are available for the public. Eryasa added waivers will be available to individuals to sign and the public is encouraged to bring work clothes, boots, gloves and any hand tools to be used in the cleanup. Once a person signs on the dotted line, they can jump in and help with beautifying the area.
Various projects will be going on throughout the day, including graveling the parking area, clearing underbrush and the removal of trash in the area.
Eryasa added that different community members have already committed to be on site with chainsaws, a dump truck, a bush hog, and other items to handle the heavy work at the location.
The idea of turning the area into a popular destination to highlight the natural beauty of the county got underway early in February. Wesley Bradley, an active whitewater paddler and member of the APES, recently told the Elizabethton Star that at the completion of the property, it could turn into a big benefit to the community.
“I don’t see a negative in it at all,” Bradley said. “It will draw tourism near and far and be a benefit for the locals. The project is basically taking a piece of property already being used anyways as a river access by the local boating community and turning it into a more usable property.”
While cleanup and beautification is the first goal, other plans have been passed around for the property — ranging from naming it after the only other covered bridge located in the county to holding a special tubing event in conjunction with the Covered Bridge Celebration.
More planning is expected to go into the project in the coming months, but Eryasa added it was exciting to see the amount of support from all parties involved.
“This is such a big first step,” Eryasa said. “It’s been great to see all the support from everybody. Everyone has had an open dialogue talking about the project. We’re hoping this will be the first step in generating interest for all the different projects that are in the planning phases. We’re only getting started but we’re definitely ready to get to work Saturday.”