Cookeville Officials Discuss Rethinking Dogwood Park Bridge

Cookeville city officials discussed the possibility of abandoning the idea of installing a pedestrian bridge in Dogwood Park Monday.

City Manager Mike Davidson said the city has considered adding the bridge since the inception of the park’s master plan.

“In the master plan, we’ve always had a bridge.. we don’t have to install one,” Davidson said. “We issued the bonds specifically for that. We have monies left over in the bond issued to construct the bridge even if it comes in even more if we wanted to spend the additional dollars on the bridge.”

Leisure Services Director Rick Woods said after the meeting the master plan, created in early 2007, doesn’t quite reflect the current state of the park.

“The actual uses of the park have changed a little bit,” Woods said. “The development of the park is not necessarily the way it was originally specifically planned. So Council is looking at that and deciding whether that’s something they feel is necessary, and we’ll take their lead on that and go with what they say.”

Mayor Ricky Shelton echoed the same sentiments, citing the addition of 1.5 acres known as the Bennett property wasn’t in the park’s original master plan either. He said there are other projects the park could tackle that would be more beneficial.

“Looks like to me it’d be better if we did some sidewalk trails through that, some picnic tables some people have requested, and hold off on the bridge for right now,” Shelton said. “I think that would reach more people and more people would enjoy that. Let’s get some prices on that kind of stuff.”

Cookeville City Council will vote Thursday to determine whether they should reject a bid submitted by a Lexington, KY company to construct the bridge. Woods said the bid did not meet the department’s specifications but added there are other companies interested in potentially doing the project.