Cookeville Council To Vote On Annexation Of Tennessee Avenue Parcel

The Cookeville City Council will vote Thursday to begin the annexation process on some 74 acres at the Tennessee Avenue exit.

“We haven’t had an annexation in quite awhile,” Cookeville Community Development Director Jon Ward said. “This is a lot of opportunity for the city here for commercial development.”

The land would likely be zoned for commercial development if the annexation process is complete. Ward said that could include some type of high-density residential. Ward said the owner of the property is already developing the new Hyundai Automotive dealership at the interchange.

“Water and sewer is being extended to the site with the project adjacent to there,” Ward said. “So that will be made available and will essentially be available at annexation if the property is successfully annexed. So that’s not an expense or an extension of sewer that the council has to consider.”

If council approves Thursday night’s vote, the Planning Commission would take up the annexation request for study.

“Planning commission reviews the plan of services,” Ward said. “They will make a recommendation. They have so many days to do so, like 90 days I believe, to do that. We’ve included it on the agenda for study on the planning commission already. I don’t anticipate there’ll be any issues there being it’s just one parcel.”

The parcel would then come back to the City Council for a final vote.

The area was included in Cookeville’s 2030 plan as being best suited for commercial and/or industrial purposes. The land is bounded on the north by the Quality Estates Subdivision. The 74 acres includes some 10 acres of right-of-way, much of which fronts Interstate 40.