You are here: / City News
Parks and Recreation Logo

Kingsport to offer adaptive exercise classes

Kingsport Parks and Recreation A.S.P.I.R.E. (Adaptive: Sports Programs Inclusive Recreation Experiences) inclusion classes will begin August 22 at the V.O. Dobbins, Sr. Complex.

Classes will take place on Tuesday’s from 10:30 a.m. to noon through May 2024 and is open for participants ages 22 and above. No registration is required, and the program is free.

The A.S.P.I.R.E. inclusion classes will include warm up exercises, stretching, running games, team games and a craft. Participants are asked to bring a lunch and eat with their fellow athletes at V.O. Dobbins.

Adaptive programs are for people with disabilities or physical limitations and are designed to ensure fair and equal competition among participants.

“This class is not just about physical activities. Rather, it’s about creating a welcoming environment where everyone’s differences are embraced and celebrated,” said Program Administrator Renee Ensor.

For more information about the classes, contact Renee Ensor at 423-229-9459. For information about other programs and classes offered by Kingsport Parks and Recreation, please visit www.kingsportparksandrecreation.org.

kingsport logo

Kingsport offers update on Blue Lid Cart collection

Beginning Wednesday, August 23, Kingsport Streets and Sanitation crews and a third party contractor will begin collecting all blue lid carts from residents who HAVE NOT notified the city of their intent to keep the cart and start paying the additional monthly fee.

The collection date is based on your regularly scheduled garbage day and is as follows:

  • 8/23: Wednesday route.
  • 8/31: Thursday route.
  • 9/8: Friday route.
  • 9/18: Monday route.
  • 9/26: Tuesday route.

Please place your cart at the curb on your normal collection day and leave it there until it is picked up.  It may take up to 7 business days to collect your cart.

NOTE – Residents will not be charged the monthly fee for the blue lid cart unless they have notified the city that they want to keep it as an additional garbage cart. If you wish to have an additional garbage cart, you can request one after all the blue lid carts have been collected.

To maintain efficient and cost-effective services, Kingsport shifted its curbside collection of recyclable material to convenience center drop-off locations and began collecting the blue lid carts in June.

If you have any further questions about this collection process, call 423-229-9451 or 423-229-9400.

kingsport logo

Find things to do with Kingsport’s free app

Looking for something to do this weekend and don’t know where to start looking? Then check out Kingsport’s free ConnectKingsport app. Just download the app on the App Store or Google Play Store and click the “Events” link.

That will take you to the This is Kingsport website where you’ll learn more about events, activities and special programs taking place in the Model City.

The ConnectKingsport app allows residents to have a direct line of communication to the city to report a non-emergency concern (such as a pothole or graffiti). The app also provides links to the city’s website, animal services, KATS, an events calendar and the police and fire departments.

ConnectKingsport uses GPS to recognize your location and gives you a menu of common quality-of-life conditions to select from when submitting a request. The app allows you to upload pictures or videos to accompany your request. Residents can then track the status of reports they or other members of the community have submitted until the issue is resolved.

To date, there’s been 7,500 downloads of the Connect Kingsport app.

This application not only allows citizens to report problems, but also to view, comment on, and vote to fix problems submitted by their neighbors. Citizens can even create their own “watch areas” to receive notifications about all the issues reported in their community, enabling them to follow the progress of all service requests—not just the ones they report.

“ConnectKingsport is a great tool for reporting issues you see in the city,” said Community Services Specialist Maxine Poole. “Plus, it gives you a direct link to This Is Kingsport, the website that answers the question ‘What is there to do in Kingsport?’ by providing a handy calendar full of events throughout the city.”

To download the free app, go to the App Store or Google Play and search “ConnectKingsport” to find the app. You can also access the tool via kingsporttn.gov/city-services/public-works/connectkingsport/ or seeclickfix.com. Download the free app today to be a part of making Kingsport a great place to live, work and play.

cultural arts logo

Create your own Ocarina in two-part course

The ocarina is a truly modern instrument with ties to the ancient past. Music lovers of any age or skill level can enjoy this wonderful flute-type instrument with minimal effort. If you are looking for a unique instrument that will bring a lifetime of joy, then look no further, for the ocarina is pure musical magic.

Now you have the chance to make one of your own.

Local artisan Russell Lawson is offering a three-part class next month to help you create your own one-of-a-kind ocarina. Over the course of these classes, you will learn the mechanics and fundamentals of flute making and create a beautiful, one of a kind instrument with your own hands.

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES:

  • August 18 (6 p.m. to 9 p.m.): Crafting the basic shape of the clay instrument and making the sound box and mouthpiece.
  • August 19 (10 a.m. to 12 p.m.): Filing the dried clay shape, drilling the musical holes and adding your own personal artistic engravings to the clay, prior to the instrument being fired and glazed.
  • Return 3 to 4 weeks later to pick up your finished ocarina.

The classes are for adults and children ages 12 and up (with adult supervision).

Both classes will be held in Room 228 at the Kingsport Renaissance Center (1200 E. Center Street). To register visit https://bit.ly/3NXA3xJ or click the “Buy Tickets” link at www.engagekingsport.com. The cost of the two-part class is $95.

For more information or to register over the phone call the Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts at 423-392-8414 or 392-8415.

kingsport senior center logo

Kingsport Senior Center hosting Hoedown Celebration

Time to dig out your cowboy boots or your best dancing skirt and make your way down to the Kingsport Senior Center for its first-ever hoedown celebration.

The event will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on September 8 in the front parking lot of the Kingsport Renaissance Center (1200 E. Center Street). The event is for seniors aged 50 and older and the cost is just $7 per person.

Entertainment will be provided by Gents & Liars – a band of six groove engineers based in Kingsport, who are dedicated to creating an immersive musical experience that weaves together timeless stories with stellar musicianship. Food will be catered by Braeden’s BBQ (BBQ, baked beans, mac & cheese and banana pudding).

You can register in the front office of the Kingsport Senior Center. We hope to see you there!

For more information about other programs, events and activities at the Kingsport Senior center, please visit seniors.kingsporttn.gov.

farmers market logo

Kingsport celebrates National Farmers Market Week

The Kingsport Farmers Market is proud to join markets from across the country this week (August 6-12) in celebrating the 24th annual National Farmers Market Week.

National Farmers Market Week is an annual celebration of farmers markets coordinated by the Farmers Market Coalition – a nonprofit organization that supports farmers markets nationwide through training, technical assistance, and network-building.

This year, the campaign is centered around the essential role that farmers market operators play, both in our local food systems and in our communities. For more than fifty years, farmers markets have influenced the way Americans eat, shop, and connect to their food, their farmers, and one another. Farmers markets are more than market places, they are places where neighbors learn, grow, and work together.

“If you’ve not been to the Kingsport Farmers Market before, this week is the perfect time to pay us a visit,” said Market Manager Kristie Leonard. “We’ve got a wide variety of farmers, vendors and artisans and you might just be surprised by everything we have to offer.”

The Kingsport Farmers Market began in 1977 and currently hosts over 110 farmers and crafters selling an assortment of products, from fresh produce to local meats, baked goods and handmade crafts. National Farmers Market Week is a celebration of these vendors and the benefits of having local produce and goods available to the Kingsport community.

To join in the celebration, be sure to snap a picture of you and your family at the farmers market and use the hashtag #farmersmarketweek on social media.

The Kingsport Farmers Market is currently open on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. For more information about the market, visit www.kingsportfarmersmarket.org.

kingsport logo

Storm Water System improvements scheduled for Sullivan Street

Storm water system improvements will take place along Sullivan Street (between Main Street and Market Street) beginning August 7. The work is expected to be complete by August 11.

Thomas Construction and Summers Taylor will be the contractors performing this work for the City of Kingsport. The work is part of the utility improvement phase for the Main Street Rebuild Project.  

One lane of traffic will remain open during most of the work – traffic flow from Wilcox Drive toward downtown. Work hours will be from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The road will be reopened to two-way traffic at the end of each workday.

The construction zones and detours (when and where applicable) will be marked by signs, and flaggers will be directing traffic. Drivers are asked to use caution in the area during this time.

If you have any questions, please contact Hank Clabaugh with the City of Kingsport Engineering Division at 229-9324 or hankclabaugh@kingsporttn.gov. Thanks for your cooperation during this improvement project.

kingsport logo

Kingsport continues to see growth in new home construction

The City of Kingsport issued more than 220 building permits for new single-family homes in fiscal year 2023 with a total valuation of just over $72 million. Retail and restaurant permits led in the commercial category, with nearly $9.7 million in new construction taking place in the Model City last year.

These are a few highlights from the Kingsport Building Division’s 2023 annual report. This annual report includes information on building permits, housing and commercial starts and other construction activity performed within the city during the past year.

Kingsport issued 221 building permits for new single-family homes in 2023, with an estimated value of $72.1 million. In 2022, the number of permits was 203 with a value of $49.6 million. Forty-seven new townhomes with an estimate value of $10.3 million were also built in 2023.

On the commercial front, Kingsport issued 11 permits for new construction in 2023 with a total valuation of $18.5 million. The city also issued 88 permits for commercial additions, repairs and remodels, with a total construction cost of $36 million.

By comparison, the Model City issued 20 permits for new commercial development in 2022 with a total valuation of $65 million.

Overall construction activity in Kingsport (residential and commercial, new construction, additions, repairs and remodels) came to $160.7 million in 2023. In 2022, the amount was $156 million.

TOP FIVE COMMERCIAL PROJECTS

  1. Eagle Transport – $5.3 million
  2. Eastman Chemical Company – $3.5 million
  3. Weigel’s – $3 million
  4. Dept. of Human Services – $2.15 million
  5. McDonalds – $1.75 million

TOP RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS

  1. Cox Valley – 46 new single family residences
  2. Miller Park phase two – 40 new single family residences
  3. Evarts Valley – 34 new single family residences
  4. West Gate phase three – 15 new single family
  5. West Gate townhouses – 14 new townhouses
  6. North Park townhouses – 13 new townhouses
  7. Miller Park phase three – 13 new single family houses
Parks and Recreation Logo

Registration open for Miracle League Fall Season

Registration for the fall season of the Kingsport Miracle League is now open with games beginning August 26.

Kingsport’s Miracle League is for special needs children and young adults who wish to play our nation’s pastime. The games are played at Kingsport’s Miracle Complex (2017 Brickyard Park Drive).

The league has two co-ed divisions: ages 18 and up and ages 17 and under – and the season runs concurrently with the city’s other youth baseball leagues. The city will be accepting new players on opening day: ages 17 and under can register at 10 a.m.; ages 18 and up at noon.

You can register online at the following link – https://bit.ly/3OoNYQ6

The season runs until October 7 with games held every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Games typically run two to three innings or about an hour in length. Jerseys are provided at no cost and there is no fee to participate in the league.

Kingsport’s Miracle Complex has a baseball field about a third of the size of a normal field, and instead of grass or artificial turf, it has a flat, rubberized surface. The mound and all of the bases are flush so wheelchair users and amputees can travel over the surface more easily and safely.

Typically, more than 100 players participate each season in the Kingsport Miracle League.

For more information about Kingsport’s parks and playgrounds, visit kingsportparksandrecreation.org. For more information about Miracle Leagues, visit www.miracleleague.com.

kingsport logo

Information Resources – Code Enforcement

,

The City of Kingsport has taken a more proactive approach to code enforcement in recent years, especially when it comes to dilapidated structures.

Tearing down a dilapidated structure helps a neighborhood on several fronts – it improves the value of nearby properties, removes any squatters who may have taken up residence and curbs the spread of dilapidation. When one house gets dilapidated, the phenomenon tends to spread to other nearby properties.

On the flip side, when people take pride in their homes, their neighbors tend to do so as well.

Kingsport offers several ways to inform citizens about important ordinances and ways to report code violations.

Code enforcement page (www.kingsporttn.gov)

The enforcement of code violations is important to the city, and the code enforcement page found at the city’s website offers quick connection to Kingsport code ordinances, adopted international ordinances, as well as a helpful code enforcement FAQ.

The ConnectKingsport app

Using the ConnectKingsport app is the fastest, easiest way to report a concern within the City of Kingsport. With the app, residents can report any non-emergency issues, stay in the know about city events and connect with important city services and social media.

To report a violation, click the Building & Planning tab, then submit your feedback in the Neighborhood – Code Enforcement section. For links to these and other information sources, visit www.kingsporttn.gov/info.

Link to: City of Kingsport
City of Kingsport, Tennessee