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Cookeville council votes to abandon 2018 TDOT multimodal grant for West 12th sidewalks
Summary
The council adopted a resolution to withdraw from a 2018 Tennessee Department of Transportation multimodal access grant for sidewalks on West 12th/North Willow after staff said planned streetscape work with the university made proceeding under the grant impractical.
Mister Ward, a city staff member, told the council that the city was awarded a 2018 Tennessee Department of Transportation multimodal access grant to construct sidewalks along State Route 135 (North Willow Avenue) and West 12th Street, but recommended formally withdrawing from the project. Ward said the city had agreed to a 5% local match and future maintenance responsibilities if the grant were accepted.
Ward told councilors that planned improvements to West 12th Street — including a potential streetscape project being explored in conjunction with the university — could make proceeding now with the TDOT project impractical and risk digging up recently completed work later. “We just didn't wanna go ahead with this project and then 2 or 3 years from now go dig up everything that was done through this,” a council member said during discussion, arguing abandonment would avoid wasting taxpayer dollars while the city explores a coordinated streetscape.
Vice Mayor Aldridge moved to approve Resolution R260204 to abandon the grant and authorize the mayor to notify TDOT and complete closeout steps. The council voted 4–0 to adopt the resolution.
The resolution authorizes city staff to take administrative steps to notify TDOT and close out the project; councilors said they remain open to pursuing sidewalks or a coordinated streetscape in the future if funding and university coordination allow.
