(WBIR- Jefferson County) The town of Dandridge has plans to develop nearly a mile of lakefront property and wants citizen input before taking the next step.
The town started the process in October and now has three different design options for residents to give feedback.
Melissa Peagler, the town administrator, said the final project will most likely be combination of the three designs.
"You can pick and choose," Peagler said. "If you like this particular area of option three but you really like option one overall, you can pick and choose and put those in them."
Option one is the "most natural," Peagler said, leaving a lot of the property like it is today but creating access to the waterfront.
The second design builds on option one but adds walking trails in the natural area.
The third option maximizes the entire use of the lakefront property, including plans for a floating dock with a swimming pool or stage.
All three designs show the additions of a boardwalk, hotel and a civic or convention center, and more parking to the waterfront.
"The lake in Dandridge is the most natural resource that we have for not only our community but also for economic purposes so we want to use it to the best of our ability to be able to get a good, stable economy here in our community," Peagler said.
These designs are a long-term plan for the lakefront area that Peagler estimates will be built over a 20 to 30 year period possibly using state and TVA grants for funding.
The planning costs, Peagler said, run about $25,000, with $20,000 of that from the town council and $5,000 from the Economic Development Oversight Committee for Jefferson County. She said she does not have any estimate at this time what the price on the final project will be.
Dandridge residents can fill out comment sheets on these three design options at Town Hall or the Field of Dreams Activity Center through the end of next week.
Peagler said the town will send those comments back to their consultants and should have a preferred plan ready by mid-March that combines the different comments from citizens and their partners at TWRA, TVA, and TDOT.
"Hopefully, along with our historic nature, that we can kind of combine into make us a little different than what you see in Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, in some of the other areas," Peagler said. "Much more small town, but right on the lake."
