Business owners and truckers hoping for easier access
and a bypass of the established trucking route in
McKenzie were appeased Thursday when members of the
McKenzie City Council voted to uphold a ten-year old
plan for College Drive to serve trucks coming into the
city.
Mayor Walter Winchester had previously agreed with an
informal Planning Commission recommendation that the
road be off limits to commercial vehicles after being
advised by the Tennessee Department of Transportation
that the road would not hold up to the abuse of heavy
trucks.
Planner Larry Webb reiterated the commission's
concerns regarding safety of pedestrians and stated
that, during the early planning for the street, Bethel
did not anticipate building their new football stadium
along the thoroughfare. He also stated Magnolia East
was not built for that type traffic and that "wash
boarding" of the pavement was already discernable on
College Drive. The weight of commercial vehicles, he
stated, would increase the deterioration of both
streets, the cost of which would be born by the city.
"Highway 124 is maintained by the state and the city
maintains the other streets," he said.
Gary Meek, owner of Meek's Farm Supply on Forrest
Avenue, said, "I have a business... How am I supposed
to get trucks in there if you're closing all the roads
around there?"
"I realize that, but I'm thinking about safety," Webb
stated, adding that traffic has been traveling to the
mill a long time and that it was through traffic that
was opposed. Meek's Farm Supply was previously known
as "Moseley's"
Bethel business manager Walter Butler stated he had
been asked to attend and observe the meeting. "We do
have several 18-wheelers in and out per week," he
said.
Councilmember Darra Adkins stated walkers have stated
that while the trucks were not a problem their speed
was excessive and suggested that speed bumps be
installed, prompting an immediate reaction from city
attorney Kent Jones.
"Speed bumps will get you sued faster than anything in
the whole wide world," he said.
Concerning the quality of the road surface, Public
Works Superintendent Joe Curtis said, "We built the
road the best we could with what we had."
Vice-mayor Gene Hale mulled whether an option might be
to make Magnolia East off limits and further limit
trucks from residential areas, however, Councilmember
James Knolton said, "That would be even worse."
Councilmember Jerry Arthur made the motion to "leave
it like it is and see what develops." By a roll-call
vote the measure passed unanimously.
Winchester stated no formal decision had been made
previously and that he would retract advertisements
previously directing the street was off limits.
FARMERS MARKET DEFINED
The council reinforced its July 8 decision declaring
the paved area across from Fred's Dollar Store a
farmer's market off limits to other merchandise.
Winchester stated he had reintroduced the issue after
receiving phone calls from several prospective vendors
selling "new shoes, new clothes, those kinds of
things."
"What it gets to is, are we going to have a flea
market or are we going to have a farmer's market?"
asked Arthur who later stated the decision had been
made previously. He was joined in his opinion by Hale
who stated the council had "pretty much defined" the
use of the area in their previous session.
"I feel like this space was designated for use as a
farmer's market and it needs to stay that," Hale said.
Asked by Adkins what the signs in the area read, the
mayor answered they advised a permit was required and
that yard sales were not permitted.
Hale inquired about use of the space across from TDOT
on Highland Drive and Huffman brought up the McKenzie
Shopping Plaza parking lot which the mayor had
previously advised could be used as space for the
farmer's market if it became too large.
Winchester advised permits or business licenses are
required for any location and that the drawback with
the shopping center parking lot was that the permit
had to be furnished to the parking lot's owner for
insurance purposes.
Local growers of produce from Carroll, Weakley and
Henry counties may sell without permit or license
while those buying produce for resale must purchase a
business license or transient (temporary) vendor's
permit.
FENCE FOR LAND NEGOTIATIONS APPROVED
Winchester requested and was granted the right to
negotiate with Shomaker Lumber Company for
approximately one acre of land in exchange for the
construction of a fence separating the sawmill from
the recreational facilities at the city park.
The fence was called for by the lumber company's
insurance carrier following an incident last spring
whereby children at the park decided to climb a mulch
pile at the nearby lumberyard and injury resulted.
The lumber yard comes within 10 feet of a ballpark,
advised the mayor, who hopes negotiations will yield
an additional buffer zone between the properties. The
section in question is 885 feet long with varying
widths.
Winchester stated he did not know how much the fence
would cost.
STREET PAVING PROJECT MODIFIED
Arthur, Public Works liaison, announced a revised,
$65,000 paving program to commence the first of
September on roads that require paving only: Como
Street from the city park to Highway 22, Hamilton from
Thompson to Maple, a 100 ft. section of Triangle
Circle, and Anderson.
The council on May 13 had approved Arthur's previous
recommendation for street work on Walnut Street to
Blackburn Road, South Main Street from the signal
light to E.W. James, Anderson Street, Como Road from
the park to Highway 22, Maple Street, Paris Avenue,
Hamilton from Maple to Thompson, and the graveled
portion of Triangle Circle.
However, no monies were allocated for paving in the
budget passed on June 24. Arthur stated a budget
amendment would take place to fund the modified
project.
He further stated Forrest Avenue was near completion
with the addition of blacktop and that Main Street
would be complete by the end of September barring
complications.
ACS SEEKS TO "PROTECT NON-SMOKERS"
The council approved a resolution asking the Tennessee
General Assembly to restore local control by repealing
tobacco preemption in Tennessee following a
presentation by American Cancer Society representative
Sabrina Young, a native of McKenzie who now resides in
Jackson.
Young stated, "We want to restore local control on
tobacco products; it's the right thing to do."
She stated the preemption provision was part of a 1994
youth access law (the "Comprehensive Tobacco Control
Act, Prevention of Youth Access to Tobacco" law) and
that a bill sponsored by state Representative Mark
Maddox to abolish the preemption had failed. A similar
bill was not voted on by state Senator Don McLeary,
she said, because he had not heard from constituents.
There, the ACS had been lobbying cities and towns
across the state to approve resolutions requesting the
provision be repealed.
Young quoted statistics that 34.81 percent of adults
in Carroll County smoke, a rate she said was higher
than the state average, and that smoking causes a loss
of $2.44 billion in productive losses across the
state. According to the American Lung Association,
8,393 people in Carroll County suffer from lung
diseases.
She stated the action is targeted not at non-smokers
but smokers: "We don't want them smoking around
non-smokers and endangering their health." Young
further stated ACS' goal to block youth access to
prevent youths from smoking.
HONORS TO BE PRESENTED
The council approved three resolutions honoring the
McKenzie Middle School Trapshooting Team 1 and team
members Meredith McKinney and Elizabeth Russell and
another resolution memorializing the late Dr. T.H.
Smith.
When Hale questioned whether it would be better to
approve the resolutions on a date the honorees could
be present rather than during separate sessions, the
mayor replied, "We approve the resolution and then
present it at the next meeting.
