<< Back 10/2/02 Proposed site of controversial RV park sold to Land Trust By Don Hendershot The owner of a tract of land that was originally slated to become the controversial Tennessee River RV Park has decided instead to sell his property to the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee. Sharon Taylor, who works for The Land Trust, gave property owner Randy Russotti kudos for his actions. Russotti’s August 2001 application for a wastewater discharge permit that would have been the first point-source discharge into the Little Tennessee below Lake Emory Dam spurred widespread community protest and government action in an effort to protect the river. Nearly 200 citizens attended an N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources public hearing Aug. 14, 2001, in Franklin to protest the permit. “We’re really pleased for the community. We don’t live in that community and we didn’t realize there would be such opposition,” said Russotti. “We meant no harm to the community and the land trust gave us an out. We didn’t make as much as we could have through development, but we made a return on our investment. I was really surprised and pleased that the land trust could step up to the plate and deliver like they did.” Paul Carlson, LTLT executive director, said he was a bit surprised too. But he said the nearly 30 acres, including 2,800 feet of river frontage, was a high priority and the purchase had the unwavering support of the LTLT board of directors. Neither Russotti nor the LTLT disclosed the selling price, electing to wait until after the closing, scheduled for January 2003. But according to Carlson, “we have our fund-raising goals set out for us.” The LTLT has not formalized plans for the tract yet, but Taylor said in a press release: “The conservation of this property will be a step forward in maintaining the extraordinary quality of this reach of river, as well as the rural character of the upper Little Tennessee Valley.” Carlson said the property’s proximity (one-quarter mile) to outlaying parcels of the Needmore Tract could influence any management plan. “If the N.C. Wildlife Commission was to acquire Needmore, this parcel would fit well into any gamelands program,” Carlson said. While Macon County recently passed amendments to its watershed ordinance that would ban point-source discharge below Lake Emory Dam, no one knows what effect that would have had on Russotti’s permit application. “We don’t know, we were still reviewing the permit,” said Susan Wilson, permitting engineer for the N.C. Division of Water Quality. Russotti said he is happy with the outcome. “The community didn’t want it; it could have led to more development. I am happy to have the chance to work with the community,” he said.