Published: August 20, 2007 06:30 pm      

City council working to develop downtown improvement plan

Crossville City Council will schedule a work session in the near future with representatives of Downtown Crossville, Inc. to discuss several proposed downtown improvements.

Downtown Crossville Inc. (DCI) representative Frances Carson addressed the council at their regular August meeting. Carson displayed a number of pictures that showed the kind of improvements they wanted to see in the downtown area.

"This proposal is just a starting place," explained Carson who talked about three areas of initial concern including parking, truck traffic and cruising.

On parking, Carson said they hoped to get public parking areas in downtown better marked so visitors could find them more easily and they also hoped to find additional locations for more parking as well.

In order to reduce the amount of truck traffic through downtown, DCI had been working with the city street department to provide better signs including signs that would indicate trucks coming from Homestead could easily get to I-40 using the Milo Lemmert Bypass rather then coming through the downtown area. They also wanted to have signs indicating the optional truck route further back from the intersections in order to give the trucks more warning that the alternate routes are available and they connect back to 127.

Carson said the group had been working with the police department on the issue of cruising. She stressed that the problem was not local kids but those who were from out of county and also older. Some of the problems reported by downtown property owners and businesses included cruisers staying later, litter and other unsanitary activities.

Carson said the group "was not opposed to local cruising" as the local residents generally went home earlier and were much less of a problem.

Carson explained that the group had done a lot of research and they had looked at several other cities that had improved their downtown areas. Some of the ideas DCI looked at seemed right for Crossville while others might be less successful.

According to Carson, the group is looking to expand its partnerships. A number of Main Street property owners and business operators are already involved and the group has been working to keep the existing businesses on Main Street while trying to find more businesses to put in currently empty buildings.

"We'd like to ask for a work session with the council," said Carson, "and we'll be requesting some funding but we want to explain what the funding will do."

A work session will be scheduled in the near future. Crossville Mayor J.H. Graham asked that the meeting be in the evening so businesses owners could also attend.

Carson had been previously identified by the Chronicle as DCI's president based on information provided with the city agenda. She indicated she is not and that office is held by Robbie Safdie.

Meeting as the Beer Board, the city council approved an off premise beer permit for the Crossville Wal-Mart Supercenter. Wal-Mart has not previously sold beer in Crossville.

The council also met as the Solicitation Board and approved solicitation permits for the United Fund, Fairfield Glade Lions Club and KIDS on the Rise.

The United Fund kicks off its annual drive this month that helps fund 31 nonprofit agencies. The goal is to raise $300,000 with a variety of programs including telephone solicitation, personal contact, door to door, direct mail and other methods.

The FG Lions Club will be holding their annual cheese sale and KIDS on the Rise will be the beneficiary of a motorcycle ride and car show Sept. 29.

The appointment of Jim Purcell to the Palace Theatre Advisory Board was announced by Councilman Jesse Kerley. Purcell replaces Melanie Sherrill who resigned recently. Council members thanked Sherrill for her service and said they were glad to have someone like Jim Purcell involved in the Palace.