Oak Ridge council accepts Groves Park roads from bank, excludes Terrace Park Place

Mayor Gooch moved and the City Council voted unanimously to accept ownership of the Groves Park subdivision roadways from Commercial Bank for perpetual maintenance and paving, with the city excluding Terrace Park Place and conditioned on the removal of the city's maintenance obligations for alleys in the recorded maintenance agreement. "I move that city accept ownership of the Roadways and Grove Parks Subdivision from Commercial Bank for perpetual maintenance and paving," the mayor stated when introducing the motion.

City Attorney Recker summarized prior executive sessions and provided the legal background the council relied on, telling members the roads were shown on the recorded plat as intended public streets and had been built to city roadway standards. Recker noted the city previously held a $225,000 letter of credit for the subdivision that lapsed in 2015 and explained that Tennessee law restricts paving of streets not yet accepted for perpetual maintenance. "Those meetings were July 13 and then August 10," Recker said, describing the council briefings.

Council members debated trade-offs before the vote. Council member Smith, chair of the finance committee, urged excluding Terrace Park Place — a short, partially completed street with no houses — until the developer posts a bond or completes construction. Council member Gleason urged caution about precedent but supported the amendment to exclude Terrace Park Place. Council member Hensley and several others argued the council should act quickly to get paving done for residents before winter.

The clerk called a roll-call vote and recorded seven ayes, zero nays. The council directed staff to advertise a paving contract for bid and to move the matter through planning commission and back to council for final acceptance, with the stated goal of completing paving this calendar year.

The council adopted the motion and the mayor adjourned the special session.