Pickett County leaders are feeling positive after a recent meeting regarding future improvements to Obed River Park.
County Executive Stephen Bilbrey said the county has been working on a design to improve the Obed River Park area since it was designated as a Bil Dance Signature Access Point. Bilbrey said improvements would consist of more parking and a bigger boating ramp. Bilbrey said after meeting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state, he feels like a design is close to being in place.
“Getting those design plans, everybody in agreement from the state, to the Corps of Engineers, to the local level, was huge cause we went back and forth for a couple of years on these design plans,” Bilbrey said.
Bilbrey said the county will have another meeting with the Corps of Engineers in December to hopefully finalize the design. Bilbrey said though the design is almost completed, the project is still has a lot of work ahead before construction.
“There will be some permitting that will be involved, there’s gotta be, you know, some core drilling down there to make sure that the soil underneath the parking lot and stuff that they are gonna do is good, some environmentals that have got to be done, so we are still a ways away.”
Bilbrey said the improvements would allow the county to host bigger fishing tournaments and concerts. Bilbrey said the improvements could have a positive economic impact on the county.
“All those things bring in folks to stay in your VRBOs, Airbnbs, our motels, our cabins at each of the docks,” Bilbrey said. “And then in turn when those rental units are full, the people staying here is gonna be out in our community spending money . So tax dollars, you know, your tax dollars should increase, and hopefully through that all of our business will be able to higher other people.”
Bilbrey said the county received a grant for the project. Bilbrey said he is glad to finally see progress in the project, because at times he thought the project would not happen.
