Lincoln Park residents seek to block Central Avenue extension

photo Members of the community gather at Lincoln Park for the Lincoln Park neighborhood's announcement to file a complaint with the EPA and the state's Human Rights Commission against the city to save the park in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Wednesday, September 24, 2014.

LINCOLN PARK TIMELINELincoln Park park preservation and Central Avenue extension timeline:November 2011 -- Chattanooga announces a long-planned extension of Central Avenue to Riverside Drive would go forward.May 2013 -- Lincoln Park residents complain to Mayor Andy Berke that the project discriminates against the community.Aug. 23, 2013 -- Berke promises Lincoln Park residents that the Central Avenue Road extension won't go through the park and claimed Erlanger would donate the land to the city.Oct. 22, 2013 -- Erlanger Health System's committee authorizes a land swap to receive eight acres in Alton Park in exchange for giving Chattanooga five acres at Lincoln Park.December 2013 -- Lincoln Park residents file a civil rights violation complaint with the city attorney's compliance office claiming officials were using federal dollars to discriminate against a minority group. The compliance officer later determined there was no violation.July 8, 2014 -- City Council approves a partial land swap giving Erlanger hospital the land in Alton Park, no update on when Erlanger will give the city the Lincoln Park land.Sept. 2, 2014 -- City meets with Lincoln Park residents to explain why the park won't be considered for the National Registrar of Historic Places.

Lincoln Park residents publicly called for Mayor Andy Berke to stop a major road project that will connect downtown to Amnicola Highway because they believe the mayor has kept the public in the dark about preserving their park. They also claim the road project discriminates against the community.

In the exact spot where Berke pledged 13 months ago that the park would again belong to the community, neighborhood leaders announced Wednesday they were filing state and federal complaints to block the road project that could cut into the park that served the black community during segregation.

"The memories of violence and racism against our community is real, which is why preserving Lincoln Park is all the more important," said Tiffany Rankins, secretary of the Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association. "We want to make this loud and clear to Mayor Berke we will not surrender our history in the name of a progress in which we are not all benefiting."

Berke's spokeswoman Lacie Stone said the mayor's office is still working toward its original goal to preserve the park. She said the city has communicated with residents throughout the year by holding one-on-one meetings, making phone calls and holding numerous public meetings -- that comply with federal standards -- to update the public on the environmental impact study to help decide the road's exact route.

"Our primary interest is to enhance the Lincoln Park neighborhood and, from day one of this administration, that includes preserving the park," Stone said.

Last year Berke negotiated with Erlanger hospital to swap eight acres of land in Alton Park for five acres of land that once belonged to Lincoln Park to build a new park. While the City Council voted in July to accept the land deed from Erlanger, the city hasn't received the park land from Erlanger.

The now dilapidated land was once an amusement park, a zoo, a swimming pool and was the home of the Negro League baseball games where players such as Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays and Satchel Paige played.

Lincoln Park leaders have fought for years to keep the Central Avenue extension from cutting through the park. And after the city showed residents their current road plan, they claimed the five-acre track of land that the city plans to preserve still doesn't include the entire historic area and the road comes within eight feet of grass at the current park.

Recently, leaders requested a draft report that studied whether Lincoln Park was eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. City officials say the report found that Lincoln Park isn't eligible but denied a request to give the report to residents. Residents also questioned why neighborhood association leaders weren't consulted about the report.

photo Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association secretary Tiffany Rankins announces the Association's plans to file a complaint with the EPA and the state's Human Rights Commission against the city to save Lincoln park at Lincoln Park in Chattanooga on Wednesday.

The complaint residents will file with the Environmental Protection Agency will argue that the road project will have a disproportional impact on a minority community. EPA is the agency conducting the environmental study to decide the road route.

A second complaint will be filed with the state's Human Rights Commission alleging that the city violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by using federal dollars to promote discrimination, Rankins said. The Human Rights Commission is charged with investigating any discrimination related to housing, employment and public accommodations.

"This is a sad situation," said Joe Rowe, vice president of the NAACP. "Berke is robbing us of our memories of the best part of our lives."

This isn't the first time the Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association has lodged a formal complaint against the city. Last December, community leaders filed a similar civil rights complaint with the city's compliance office, but an officer found there was no violation. Stone said after the complaint was filed the mayor's office assigned a specific point of contact for residents.

Contact staff writer Joy Lukachick Smith at jsmith@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6659.

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