Published: July 07, 2008 05:36 pm      

City council moving ahead with downtown master plan

The Crossville City Council will meet for their regular July monthly meeting Tuesday and will consider again the hiring of a highly experienced engineering firm to begin working on a master plan for improvements to Crossville's downtown area.

The regular meeting starts at 6 p.m. and will be preceded by a public hearing for a proposed annexation of three acres on Peavine Road at 5:45 and a meeting of the council's audit committee at 5:15 p.m.

At the council's January 2008 meeting, council members decided to put off a decision on hiring the Akron Ohio engineering firm of E G & G, Inc. The firm had been recommended to the council after a committee made up of city staff and members of Downtown Crossville had interviewed four firms that were interested in creating the downtown master plan. The committee unanimously picked E G & G, Inc. over the other three firms that were interviewed. The firm was also recommended by Tennessee cities of McMinnville and Franklin where the firm has worked on successful downtown revitalization projects.

The council will consider an agreement to pay $49,000 to E G & G, Inc. to study, among other things, traffic circulation of vehicles and pedestrians, parking needs and image, streetscape design including a wide variety of possible improvements such as underground utilities, signage, crosswalk treatments, landscaping and street lighting.

The firm will also work with the city on major infrastructure improvements to water and sewer lines, many of which have been in the ground with little upgrade except repairs since they were originally installed.

To develop the master plan, E G & G, Inc. will organize with the project steering committee and conduct a community think tank session to identify needs and opportunities and refine the community's vision.

Once the master plan is complete, the firm can also help with putting together financing plans to fund the improvements and help with applications for grants and other funding programs though those services are not part of the initial contract.

At council's January meeting, John Grossman, president of E G & G, Inc. told the council that “downtowns can become vibrant marketplaces, even if they are different then they were 50 years ago.” By redoing tired, old gray downtown areas, Grossman explained it makes the real estate desirable and gives a reason for people to make investments in the area.

“Think of downtown as the community living room,” added Grossman, “It creates value for the whole community, not just the downtown area, by increasing value, property tax and sales tax collections.” Grossman stressed that downtown improvements are not just for looks, but for economic development.

An initial community meeting has been tentatively set for Tuesday, July 22, at at the Palace Theatre starting at 7 p.m. Members of the community and downtown property owners are encouraged to attend the meeting that will include a presentation by E G & G, Inc.

Also on tonight's council agenda at the request by Councilman Boyd Wyatt is a discussion of widening and paving of East First Street. The issue was briefly discussed at last month meeting as Mr. Wyatt asked about the possibility of widening the road. City staff was to check on the status of right of way, estimated costs and other matters to bring back to the council.

The council will also consider upgrades to the city MIOX equipment at Holiday Hills and Meadow Park Lake water treatment plants. The MIOX systems have replaced the need for chlorine gas at the water plants for treating the water. MIOX has been used in the city's water plants since 2002.

While the cost of upgrading the equipment is high at almost $300,000 the new equipment uses less energy and supplies amounting to a cost savings of some $20,000 per year.

Meeting as the beer board, the city council will consider a request from the Bear Trace golf course at Cumberland Mountain State park for a license to sell beer for on premise consumption.