Fentress Doing Four Applications For Big South Fork Park Grant Funding

Fentress County approved a resolution to submit four grant applications for work at Big South Fork Park.

Collier Engineering Consultant Arran Addington has been working with the county in the application process for $2.5 million worth of projects. He said that the state has some $8.7 million in funding to allocate.

“There’s not a lot of funding out there,” Addington said. “The reason for four applications is that way if the county just gets funded for one, that’s great, but if you only apply for one and they don’t like it, then you’re out. This way, it makes it so that you have more chances.”

Addington said that the four applications would be in the Big South Fork Park area for signage and road work. He said that the roads include the park road, Zenith Road, and Mount Helen Road. Addington said that the applications are due on May 2nd.

County Road Supervisor Joey Reagan said that the federal money will cover the hot mix for the roads going into the Big South Fork Park. He said that should they receive the grant, they hope the work will take about three to six months.

“You never know until to try for the money,” Reagan said. “There isn’t any promise in it, but we’ve got the paperwork started (…) On the loop down here that we’re working on, there are about six small businesses and the road is pretty rough going into it.”