Overton County officials are awaiting final approval from state approval to open the new Monroe Community Center.
Overton County Executive Steven Barlow said the county has been working to finalize soil samples and system requirements for the Monroe School Road facility. Barlow said the project timeline depends on the state agency determining the necessary footage for field lines.
“The only thing we lack is putting the septic system in and hooking the water up and it’s ready to go,” Barlow said. “If TDEC signs off on this or tells us how many feet of field lines that we need we might possibly be able to get it done by next month.”
Barlow said the county is exploring a potential contract to utilize an existing septic tank and field lines on a neighboring property. Barlow said the neighboring system previously served a parsonage that was removed several years ago, and testing is underway to ensure the infrastructure remains in good condition.
“People have been chomping at the bit for it to be done,” Barlow said. “There is a group that wants to open a senior eating again, where they gather and feed them and and they can do different things
Barlow said the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation initially requested a larger system because officials believed the building would be open for daily operations. Barlow said the requirements changed once the county clarified the building would function as a rental space for the community.
“Once we showed them that told TDEC we wouldn’t be opened up every single day and it’d be an open operation, it would be rented out as a community center,” Barlow said. “He then got the point, we just got the soil samples in again and took it to them.”
Barlow said Monroe Fire Department Fire Chief Brian Franklin signed off on a recommended capacity of 35 people for the building. Barlow said the facility features two individual bathrooms, but water service cannot be activated until the waste system is finalized to prevent drainage issues.
“The only thing that’s left is we haven’t hooked the water up yet because there’s no septic system,” Barlow said. “That’s the reason why we haven’t hooked the water up yet because we didn’t want anybody to think that it was ready.”
Barlow said the center will provide a space for seniors to gather for meals and social activities, similar to a program previously operated by a local resident for nearly 50 years. Barlow said the new center could host gatherings on different days than existing programs in town to provide more opportunities for residents to connect.
“We got it up and going, hopefully by next week or next month,” Barlow said.
The new facility is located across from the Monroe Post Office at the same site as the previous community center.
