News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Cookeville has a total of 13 annexation areas lacking water, sewer, or electrical services.
City Council held a public hearing Thursday and provided annual progress reports on the plans of services for those areas. Resident Martina Gabriel told council members that a lack of sewer prevents her from developing several acres of land near Highway 70 East and Interstate 40.
“With Cookeville growing as much as it does, we have quite of few request that people would like to invest,” Gabriel said. “Of course, we cannot do anything until we get city sewer.”
City Planning Director John Ward said the city has completed two phases of sewer installation to the area, serving 195 parcels.
“The plans of services specify that sanitary sewer will be provided based upon the same criteria, standards, and policies used to determine expansions in the current unserved portions of the corporate limits,” Ward said.
State law requires Cookeville to provide an annual progress for areas annexed prior to 1998. Cookeville has 22 areas meeting that criteria, but nine have seen plans of services fully implemented.
Ward said the city still needs to complete plans of services for Old Bridge Road/Falling Water River; Buck Mountain Road/Dry Valley Road; East Highway 70 N/Interstate 40; West Cookeville/Interstate 40; Shag Rag Road; Rebecca Place/Bunker Hill Road; Bunker Hill Road/Lovelady Road; Freehill Road/North Washington Avenue; South Willow Avenue; Bennett Road Extension; Old Stewart Road; Hall-Bennett Road; and Mackie Farm Area.
“When areas are annexed, most of the city services are implemented pretty much immediately, like trash pickup, police, fire protections and planning services,” Ward said. “It’s the utility extensions that take some time and are expensive. Most of the areas we have on here are related to sewer services.”
All thirteen areas still lack sanitary sewer services, according to the report presented Thursday night. The Mackie Farm area and West Cookeville/Interstate 40 area lack sewer, water, and electric.
