Franklin considering commercial ventures in city parks

City considers commercial ventures' place in parks
The Tennessean • July 16, 2008
FRANKLIN — Should Franklin's public parks be kept free and open for anyone, even if they make an income there?
That's the question Franklin officials face as they create the city's first for-profit policy to regulate use in the city's parks.
Under an initial proposal, anyone who uses the parks to conduct a commercial venture, from private sports instructors to road-race organizers, would be charged fees as well as a percentage of the earnings made while using park space to hold classes or events. There currently is no policy on the matter.
While that plan didn't get much footing from aldermen, city Parks Director Lisa Clayton believes her plan might ultimately mean better use of park space by more people.
"They've got a business . . . and using court space where the general public and school groups can't get on it," Clayton said. "That's an issue."
Clayton initially proposed charging applicants 20 percent of the gross fees they collect from all class participants, or a minimum charge of $1,000. That's in addition to a $15 fee per participant for non-Williamson County residents.
But aldermen balked at the plans. And business owners who use the parks had questions about how the proposal would affect their businesses.
"For my particular business, I can't operate successfully if I don't use the park," said Deena Prichard, owner of Stroller Strides of the Nashville Area, which leads post-natal personal training classes. "For my business, personally, we need a safe place, and we need to be outside."
Among city leaders, Alderman Dana McLendon raised immediate concerns because of the cost. McLendon, an avid baseball fan, worried that the plan would hurt private instructors who hold classes out of love for the sport and could eventually decrease use of the parks.
McLendon called the proposal "somewhat unwieldy" because coaches, instructors and others who might be charged would have to tell parks staff whether they would have to pay $1,000 or 20 percent.
"I think it would have put a lot of people in a difficult position," McLendon said. "I don't know that we're trying to get at the individual coach. What we really need is scheduling and programming control more so than we have. And that seemed to be more fee-driven than really programming-oriented."
Proposal under revision
Clayton is revising her proposal and plans to bring it back to the board later this summer. She stressed, however, that her plans aren't meant to discourage use of the parks, just how they are used.
"What we're beginning to see more of is outsider groups coming in and performing classes," she said.
She's conducting research in other states and cities about their parks policy. Williamson County parks officials have their own instructors on staff. The city, however, has steered away from doing programming, instead focusing mainly on facilities.
Clayton said her plan drew positive and negative feedback among instructors and others.
Russell Weihe, a Franklin tennis pro, said if city officials approve a fee, he doesn't want it to be too costly so that it hurts his business or use of the courts.
"I don't have a problem at all with them charging a fee," Weihe said. "The question is, how much is that fee?"