Cookeville Public Works Working On East 10th St. Phase II Right-Of-Way Acquisition

Cookeville Public Works Department working through its right-of-way acquisition for Phase II of East 10th Street upgrades.

Director Blake Mayo said the right-of-way acquisition phase is one of the busiest periods of a project for the city.

“There were 29 parcels to purchase and we’ve bought already close to 20 parcels, we’re already closed and come to an agreement with those property owners,” Mayo said. “Going into condemnation with approximately six of those, and then we still have a couple out there that we’re negotiating with right now.”

Mayo said that a right-of-way is land the city owns on the sides of roads that extend one foot. He said when the project is all said and done and you look at the completed roads, you can assume the one foot behind a sidewalk will be a city right-of-way.

Mayo said the right-of-ways are key to any road project. He said without having the right of way or the easement, they cannot move the project forward.