"That is a high-cost area. That land is very valuable. It's the going price." County Commissioner Steve Highlander said this on August 5, 2026, according to Chattanoogan.com. Commissioners had been getting calls about how much Hamilton County was about to spend on a piece of ground in Apison.
The ground is roughly 8.5 acres owned by Apison Baptist Church. It sits in front of the Apison Volunteer Fire Hall and next to the small Apison Park. The county plans to turn it into youth soccer, softball and baseball fields. The Commission approved Resolution 826-7 by a 10-0 roll call vote, with Commissioner Greg Beck absent. The resolution authorizes a purchase price of $1,250,000.00 plus closing costs, along with a nominal license on about 1.72 acres for future parking.
The price got that high because someone else wanted the same land for a different reason. The qualities that make this tract good for ball fields also make it good for houses. That is why the county paid what it did, and it is why Apison now has an approved land purchase long before it has a plan for a park.
A Developer Set the Price
County Mayor Weston Wamp explained at the August meeting how the number climbed, as Chattanoogan.com reported:
- The county first wanted the land without the church parsonage. The rest of the property was offered at $750,000.
- A developer then made an offer on the whole property, parsonage included.
- The county agreed to $1.2 million.
- The developer raised its offer to $1,250,000.
- The county matched the higher amount.
The parsonage, a brick rancher of about 2,000 square feet described as in good condition, accounts for part of the gap between the first figure and the last. Commissioners said the house is worth about $200,000 and could be sold to recover some of the cost. The Commission also passed an amendment sending any sale proceeds back to the county's fund balance. The minutes add that a future sale of the house would come back to the Commission.
Early coverage from WDEF put the total property price at $1.5 million. The resolution the Commission actually adopted says $1.25 million.
Flat, Open and Zoned for Density
The developer's interest makes sense once you look at the land itself. Commissioner Lee Helton told the Commission it is a level tract with high-density zoning. When the proposal was announced in July, Wamp described the land as generally flat and treeless, which suits youth ball fields. Builders look for the same things, since level ground needs less grading before anyone can pour a slab.
County officials said so openly. According to the Times Free Press, officials at the July 15 press conference hoped the purchase would keep another subdivision from being built in this rural southeastern part of the county. Wamp said the park would serve as a needed community resource instead.
The location helps the fields in ways a subdivision wouldn't need. The tract adjoins Apison Park, which the county's parks directory lists at 11218 Old E. Brainerd Road. It also faces the Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department's Station 3, at 11115 Park Place. Highlander pointed out that the future park is across from the county EMS station, so help would arrive fast if a child got hurt during a game.
The existing Apison Park is small. A 2019 6AM City parks roundup listed a pavilion, dog run, horseshoe pits, tennis courts and a walking track there. That list is several years old, and it mentions no ball field. Adding 8.5 acres next door would give the county one continuous site of nearly 10 acres to work with.
Why Open Land Is Getting Scarce
The price follows from how fast Apison has filled in. Wamp told WDEF the area had about 1,000 residents 25 years ago and about 5,000 now. He tied that growth to the shortage of recreation space.
Helton said much the same in the county's announcement: "Apison has grown rapidly over the past several years, and opportunities to create new parks have become harder to find." In the same release, Wamp said he and Helton had spent four years looking for land in Apison for "much-needed park space and youth sports fields."
So the county spent four years looking, and when a usable tract finally came up, it had to compete with a developer for it. At the August meeting, Commissioner Mike Chauncey put the county's position this way, according to Chattanoogan.com: "It's essential that we carve out green spaces."
Where the $1.25 Million Comes From
County Finance Director Lee Brouner described three funding sources at the August 5 meeting.
| Source | Amount |
|---|---|
| General Fund balance | $200,000 |
| Recreation capital project fund | $426,000 |
| 2024 bond fund | The remainder, about $624,000 |
| Purchase price | $1,250,000, plus closing costs |
The minutes list the recreation money as FY2027 recreation capital outlay. Fund balance supplies the smallest share, and it is also where any money from selling the parsonage would go.
Where Apison Kids Play Now
Wamp said families in the area travel to Ooltewah for youth sports. Published league and city pages show where that driving goes:
- East Hamilton Rec Park, 5208 Little Debbie Pkwy, Ooltewah. The Ooltewah Youth Association manages it and lists it as its Little Debbie fields.
- Standifer Gap Park, 8327 Standifer Gap Rd, Chattanooga, the other park the Ooltewah Youth Association manages. Its baseball is affiliated with Dizzy Dean, and its softball plays in the Scenic City League.
- Summit of Softball Complex, 4900 La Collina Way, Collegedale, with eight playing fields. The Collegedale Recreation Association runs a youth softball program with seven divisions.
- Thatcher Switch Recreational Area, at Tucker Road and Apison Pike in Collegedale, which has a multi-use field.
All of these are outside Apison. Fields on Old E. Brainerd Road would be the first youth sports facilities in the community itself. Commissioners have described the area as having few parks: Helton read the Commission a list of parks and recreation sites and said his part of the county has few of them.
What Hasn't Been Decided
So far, the county has approved buying the land. The resolution authorizes the mayor to sign the purchase agreement and closing documents. The Times Free Press reported on August 6 that the county was set to make the purchase. As of mid-October 2026, we found no public record of a closing, a listing for the parsonage, a hired designer, a construction schedule or a public input meeting. Written minutes for the Commission's October 7 meeting were not yet posted. The county noted they would follow approval, and audio was available in the meantime.
The design is also open. Coverage of the proposal mentions youth soccer, softball and baseball, plus room for parking. It does not mention a playground, a walking trail or anything else that would not be a field. No source names who will run the fields. On the day the proposal was announced, WDEF reported that the county had no exact completion timeline but was ready to start as soon as possible.
The next public signs will come through the Commission. These include a vote on what to do with the parsonage, a design contract on a future agenda, or a capital budget line for building the fields. The county's Commission minutes archive is where each of those would show up first.
Land near Apison Park drew competing offers this summer. If you own property in Apison and want to know how the rising demand for flat, buildable land affects what yours is worth, or what a new park next door could change, Lawrence Team Homes follows these Commission decisions and can walk you through it. Talk to the Lawrence Team.
