News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
A potential 300-lot subdivision on Lovelady Road on Highway 111 near South Jefferson Avenue drew the ire of residents at a Monday night Cookeville Planning Commission meeting.
The Commission voted 7-2 in favor of rezoning some 107-acres from low-density to high-density residential.
Resident David King said that he’s considered about what traffic will look like if the potential 300-home subdivision comes to fruition.
“Every one of you has driven on a two-lane highway,” King said. “Every one of you has tried to get through the intersection there from I-40 to Interstate Drive. Add another 300 cars to that at any given time. How long are you going to be there sitting in there trying to get to Interstate Drive from 40?”
Planning Director Jon Ward said that a traffic study for the area around the proposed development was brought before the public works department. He said that with six reported crashes out of an average of 537 vehicles per day, the Public Works department did not deem those numbers a cause for concern.
Resident Tim Dias said that he has concerns about bringing sewer to the area with the subdivision. He said that what the planning commission is proposing to extend out to the area would not suffice.
“Dealt with quite a bit of this in other occupations that I’ve had over the years, and you’re putting in low-pressure systems,” Dias said. “That system is actually designed to push water, it’s not designed to push raw sewer. A lift station is what pushes raw sewer.”
Ward said that plats have not even been considered for the proposed subdivision. He said that at that time, the developer would have to ensure that the property has been provided with adequate sewer.
Commission Chair Jim Woodford voted in favor of the rezoning, saying that unprecedented growth in Cookeville requires its needs met.
“Since we’re having this unprecedented growth, and I’m going to say a ‘friendly invasion,’ of people wanting to live in our area because they like it, it is causing infrastructure problems,” Woodford said. ” Traffic, water, sewer, you’ve got to address these. We also need housing. We have some areas that are at capacity that when a developer comes in and wants to do a high-density in certain parts of the city, they’ll be turned down because the water department doesn’t have the capacity.”
“People are wanting to move here and there’s a housing shortage. And we realize, and I do, that your home, your property is one of the largest assets you own. And we’re not here to try to diminish or devalue your property, we’re trying to do this in an organized manner that would be beneficial to you.”
