Published: July 08, 2009 08:11 am      

More downtown street changes are on the way

Another change is coming for downtown traffic flow, turning a little used two-way street on the northern side of the old downtown area to a one way street.

The action that affects North Street between Main Street and Thurman Avenue was approved by the Crossville City Council at their special-called meeting after the working on the final adjustments of the city budget for the new fiscal year.

According to city officials, on-street parking has become an issue for businesses located in the Taylor Square building and the old L. P. Shanks building. Another downtown business suggested North Street between the old Shanks building and Plateau Properties could be made one way and add five parking spaces.

The proposal is to make the street one way toward the northeast from Main Street to Thurman. The short block does not carry much traffic. In addition to the additional parking, the city would be able to install an additional 180 feet of sidewalk.

After some discussion the council approved the proposed changes.

The council also approved three work orders on the Cumberland Mountain State Park sewer line project for the addition of pump stations, line extensions and grinder pumps at the Homestead Elementary School. The changes are made at the request of the Cumberland County Board of Education and will be paid for by the school system. The changes totaling approximately $61,000 were approved before the end of June so the funding from schools could be taken from the previous budget rather then the new budget that has not yet been approved.

An extension of the lease on the Crossville Depot to the Rotary Foundation of Cumberland County was approved by the council. The Rotary Foundation is made up of the Noon Rotary Club, the Crossville Breakfast Rotary Club and the Fairfield Glade Rotary Club.

The lease is set to expire July 31, 2009 but the foundation has requested the five-year extension allowed by the current lease. The new extension will continue until July 31, 2014.

The council put off a decision on street lighting in the Interchange Industrial Park after the original cost approved over a year ago has now more then doubled. In April of 2008 the council approved $32,925 for installing streetlights in the commercially developed park. The road has been dedicated as a city street and currently has no street lights.

Delays in the project kept the project from moving forward and now it has been brought back the cost is estimated at $78,000.

The large amount of the increase sparked a comment from councilman Carl Duer, “We promised them street lights, but we didn't promise you could read by them!”

After further research the council will revisit the issue.

Crossville Mayor J. H. Graham presented a proclamation to two of the organizers of the recent Amateur Radio Field Day sponsored nationally by the Amateur Relay Radio League (ARRL), an organization of ham radio operators. The field day event was held at the Cumberland Mountain State Park as an exercise using no power except that generated by the participants.