Baileyton's new city park has yet to open, but when it does later this summer handguns won't be welcome there, the Baileyton Board of Mayor and Aldermen decided Wednesday evening.

The board unanimously approved a resolution "to prohibit handguns in municipal parks, natural areas, historic parks, nature trails, campgrounds, forests, greenways, waterways or other similar public places."

The resolution makes carrying a handgun in the new Baileyton park, which is nearing completion off the Horton Highway behind the Baileyton Restaurant, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 11 months and 29 days in jail and fine of up to $2,500 upon conviction.

The resolution notes that Tennessee law had, until the state legislature removed a prohibition during its recently concluded session, prohibited the carrying of weapons in municipally owned parks, playground, civic centers.

The action came during the 7 p.m. meeting at Baileyton Town Hall after Baileyton Mayor Tommy Casteel asked Aldermen J.D. Sensabaugh, Don Kilday and Doug Carter if they felt handguns should be allowed in the town's new municipal park.

Kilday replied that he hadn't really thought about the matter, but Carter replied, "personally, I'd say no."

Alderman Sensabaugh then said he felt handguns should be banned from the new town park.

Aldermen Ken Bailey, Sr., did not attend the board's Wednesday evening meeting.

In response to a question from Alderman Carter, Mayor Casteel said the resolution also applies to those who have state handgun carry permits.

Section I of the resolution says, in part, "any person authorized to carry a handgun under Tennessee code Annotated (section) 39-17.1351 is prohibited from possessing any handgun while within a public park ... ."

After the aldermen voted unanimously to adopt the resolution, Mayor Casteel noted that the town will need to post signs warning that carrying a handgun inside the park is illegal.

The resolution notes that signs must be at lease six inches high and 14 inches wide.

The new Baileyton municipal park, the mayor said, is expected to be open by next month.

Located off the Horton Highway behind the Baileyton Restaurant, the park will have two picnic pavilions, the mayor said.

Plans are to add playground equipment, a walking track and permanent restroom facilities next year, the mayor said.

Casteel said portable restrooms will be placed inside the park before it opens.

A gravel road leading from the park's main gate to picnic pavilions also is being built.

The mayor noted that city leaders are in the process of developing a set of rules for reserving and using the park's picnic facilities.

Before the Wednesday evening meeting of the Baileyton Board, Mayor Casteel noted that site preparation work has recently begun for construction of a new Dollar General store on Van Hill Road adjacent to the existing Family Dollar store.

In May, the Baileyton Planning Commission approved a site plan for the Dollar General store.

The store site plan calls for construction of a new, 9,100 square-foot building on Van Hall Road, near the existing Family Dollar Store.

Greg Motes, project manager for The Broadway Group commercial real estate development firm from Huntsville, Ala., presented the site plan for the new store to the commission in May.

He told the planning commissioners that the new store will be a traditional Dollar General store, not a Dollar General Market, which also carries groceries, as Baileyton officials had hoped.

The new store is to be built on a 1.23-acre site.

In response to questions from Charles Anderson, Baileyton's planner under contract from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, Motes said the store will have about 30 parking spaces, a number based on its approximately 7,000 square-feet of retail space.

Motes noted that more parking spaces could not be added because space was needed to allow tractor-trailers delivering merchandise to the store to turn around and back into the store's loading dock.

The remainder of the 9,100-square-foot building will be for warehouse space, Motes told the commission in May.

Anderson said the proposed site plan met all of Baileyton's setback requirements and said that he recommended its approval by the planning commission.

"We look forward to working with you," Motes had told the commissioners in May, noting that he will be in Baileyton once a week while the new store is being built.