CENTRE — For the first time since purchasing the property more than a generation ago, the Cherokee County Commission last week committed to seeking funding for a plan to develop what many believe is the area's most overlooked natural resource: a massive pile of rocks sitting atop the southeastern ridge of Lookout Mountain above Leesburg.

During a special meeting on April 20, commissioners Carlton Teague, Kimball Parker, Elbert St. Clair and Wade Sprouse agreed to go after nearly $2 million in funds recently made available as part of the federal government's 2008 economic stimulus plan.

“That's how we voted at the end of the meeting,” Parker told The Post the following morning.

The Parks and Recreation Board (PRB), reconstituted a little over a year ago and tasked with implementing improvements to a handful of historically-overlooked parks in the county, quickly set its sights on Cherokee Rock Village (also known locally as “Little Rock City”) as a potential economic engine.

Over the past several months, Probate Judge Melvyn Salter has repeatedly expressed support for a plan to develop Cherokee Rock Village. On Tuesday, he again urged commissioners not to mimic their predecessors by ignoring the park's potential to generate tourism dollars and create local jobs.

“I believe the park is an opportunity that can have a great economic impact on the county,” Salter said. “Consider the cost of what the loss has been” by failing to develop the park through the years, he added.

Salter listed several universities which make regular treks to Cherokee Rock Village to take advantage of rock climbing opportunities, hiking trails and primitive camping areas. Among them, Salter said, are the University of Florida, the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, and the University of Central Florida.

“Students from Florida have already been up there four times this year,” Salter said.

According to Board chairman Scooter Howell, a traffic counter placed on the roadway leading to Cherokee Rock Village put the number of vehicles in the park during the Easter weekend at over 1,300.

“And it was 1,000 cars the week before that,” Howell added.

During a presentation of the PRB's enhancement plans, Gary Banister told the commissioners it would take at least the entire amount of the so-called “recovery bond” that the county is eligible to apply for – $1.88 million – to implement all the improvements he and his fellow Board members envision.

“But we understand that the county has other needs and uses for the money,” Banister said. “So we are only requesting half.”

Board member Linda Prater, who is part American Indian, urged the commissioners not to let the opportunity to create a viable tourist attraction in Cherokee County slip through their fingers, as happened at least once before.

“I was in a meeting like this 33 years ago, asking the County Commission to let my tribe take over the park and request federal funds to make some improvements,” Prater said. “For whatever reason, they said no.”

On Wednesday, Parker said that under an agreement reached at the conclusion of the meeting — and providing that the county's application is approved — around $900,000 would become available to the PRB to begin security and utilities enhancements, with oversight provided by the Commission.

Improvements discussed at the meeting included security gates, a toll booth, comfort stations and drinking water.

Banister said the Board is working with the Cherokee Electric Cooperative to supply electricity to the property. He said the installation of the power lines will be paid for with existing PRB funds.

The Commission still has to hire an investment banker and an attorney to act as bond counsel. Commissioners must also declare Cherokee County a “recovery zone” so it can apply for the bond.

County Administrator Tim Burgess told commissioners they need to vote on those issues during the April 26 meeting.

“The deadline to send our application is April 30,” Burgess said.

Parker also told The Post that the other half of the bond money would be split among the four Commission districts and used predominantly to repair roads and bridges damaged by last winter's prolonged sub-zero temperatures.