News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
A May referendum for 14 registered voters could decide if land at the corner of Interstate 40 and Highway 111 becomes part of Cookeville.
“It’s slightly under 200 acres and we’ve referred to it as the Mackie Farm,” Cookeville Planning Director James Mills. “The majority of it is owned by the Mackie family or the heirs to the Mackie family.”
The Cookeville City Council approved a resolution Monday asking for the Elections Commission to schedule the referendum. The Commission will vote Friday.
Two years ago, the State Legislature voted to require annexation by referendum unless 100 percent of the property owners in the area agreed to the annexation. In this case, Cookeville received a request from seven of the nine property owners to annex the land, forcing the vote. Only the 14 registered voters in the area will vote on the annexation.
Mills said the land has garnered development interest from several industrial clients.
“That’s what’s driving the annexation in order for us to provide the services that the industry would need, it needs to be annexed,” Mills said.
Water, sewer and fire protection, according to Mills, would be the key services in developing the land.
