Cookeville To Explore Geotechnical Services For Land Development

Cookeville City Council will consider a proposal for geotechnical exploration land off of Highway 111 and I-40.

Economic Development Coordinator Melinda Keifer said the location has some 100 acres at Mackie’s Farm that could be developed. She said the service is a common practice for land development.

“Basically we’ll take some soil borings and we’ll analyze the soil,” Keifer said. “And then this time we’re utilizing some, what they call, electronic resistivity tomography, so we’ll actually, in essence, take an ultrasound, if you will, of the land.”

Keifer said the city is facing stiff competition for development, and that this study provides information that development prospects expect to be readily available and up-to-date.

“We’re up against not only people in our state but other states and even globally for good job creation,” Keifer said. “Anything we can do to mitigate either the knowledge gap or deterrents to development on a piece of ground the better we’re in a position for success.”

At a Cookeville work session Monday night, Keifer said the process would involve boring six holes in the plot to the bedrock. She said the total cost would add up to some $23,800 from the economic development fund, and had the potential to reach around $29,000 if additional borings are needed.

Keifer said the site has already performed a phase one environmental study, but that more information is needed. She said that we as a community are blessed to have such great land in the area and that taking this step is doing due diligence in exploring the land available and its possibilities.

Keifer said that the city does not pick which developers will get the land, but rather they deal with potential customers as they come in and based on the needs of their development ideas.