Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Urban Planning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cookeville council approves 39 Depot master plan, authorizes property acquisitions for street realignment
Summary
Council approved the 39 Depot master plan after a consultant's presentation and public input; the plan adds parking, a promenade, traffic realignments (including a new Broad crossing), and will proceed to design steps that may require acquiring property by donation, negotiation or eminent domain.
Cookeville, Tenn. — The Cookeville City Council on July 16 approved the city's 39 Depot master plan and passed a related resolution authorizing the acquisition of property needed for street realignments.
City staff said the plan, developed with Ace/ASA Engineering and public input, divides the project into phases and seeks to address circulation, safety and downtown activation. The presentation described a new railroad crossing (New Broad Crossing), an "oblong about" to improve traffic flow, a Depot Promenade tying north and south areas together, and a total net gain of 38 parking spaces (376 new spaces minus existing areas).
An ASA Engineering land planner who addressed the council described existing conditions and said that, after 11 public input meetings, the design team prioritized safety, connectivity and activation. "We have 2 parking lots to the north...below the large parking lot is a small plaza and then a green space," said the presenter. The consultant also noted negotiations with RJ Corman and the Nashville Eastern Railroad Authority were necessary to secure a new railroad crossing.
Public commenters raised questions about how the Tennessee Central Trail and bike lanes would connect to the plan, the amount of new surface parking, and whether the existing restroom built with grant funds would be removed. The consultant acknowledged the trail and multimodal connectivity would be considered through subsequent engineering and multimodal studies and confirmed the existing restroom will be demolished and a new restroom provided as needed.
Councilmembers praised the extensive public engagement and emphasized this approval sets a "skeleton" or framework for future design work rather than final construction details. As one council member summarized on the process: the plan authorizes the city to proceed to the design phase, after which civil design, grading and final construction plans — including any required property acquisitions — will be pursued.
Council passed the master plan motion and subsequently approved Resolution 26-7-13, which authorizes staff to acquire right-of-way by easement, donation, negotiation or, if necessary, eminent domain to complete realignments and support the master plan.
Next steps: Staff will proceed with design-phase engineering and multimodal study elements, refine plans in response to council and public input, and begin right-of-way acquisition activities as required by the approved resolution.
