New access road plan falls short
However, in its Thursday, Sept. 25, meeting, the Board’s vote tied, thus failing to approve contracting with Barge Design Solutions Inc. to develop design plans for an alternate access road from Sugarwood Drive to the traffic signal at Smith Road.
The cost of the design work would be $80,000, according to Town engineer Darryl Smith.
“Knox County Schools is currently constructing a new K-5 elementary school at Village Commons Boulevard,” he said. “Village Commons Boulevard is located on Kingston Pike, approximately 950 feet east of Smith Road, which is only 400 feet east of Sugarwood Drive.
“Eastbound traffic on Kingston Pike currently backs up during peak hours to points west of Sugarwood Drive, making access to Kingston Pike extremely difficult from Sugarwood Drive,” Smith said. “Construction of the new school at Village Commons Boulevard will add further congestion near Smith Road during peak hours.
“An access road from Sugarwood Drive to the CVS Pharmacy will allow Sugarwood residents to access Kingston Pike at the Smith Road traffic signal,” he said. “One thing we’d like to consider is an alternate route for Sugarwood residents to access Kingston Pike at the Smith Road intersection.”
Smith said the agreement would be to develop preliminary engineering plans for two alternates to provide an access road from Sugarwood Drive to CVS Pharmacy/Kingston Pike.
“Barge would consider the impact of two separate options,” Smith said. “Alternate A will be an access road from Sugarwood Drive, crossing the vacant property to the east (adjacent to Kingston Pike).
“Alternate B will be an access road crossing property owned by St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church,” Smith said.
“Once preliminary plans for the two alignments are complete, we will have a clearer understanding of the impacts to the two properties and can determine which of the two routes is most beneficial.
“Barge’s fee for preparation of the preliminary plans is $80,000, with completion by March 31, 2026,” he said. “Upon selection of the desired route, Barge Design Solutions will submit a supplemental agreement to complete right-of-way and construction plans for the project.”
“I would like to meet with these residents first before I vote for something like this,” said South Ward Alderman Drew Burnette, who voted “no.
“It makes complete sense to me,” he said. “I know Sugarwood people who live and work there, but I haven’t talked to anybody about it … I like the idea, but I haven’t run it past anybody.”
“I have to agree with Drew,” said North Ward Alderman Alex Cain, who also voted against the agreement with Barge to design an alternate. “My first thought was we had discussions with residents; we talked with the property owners, CVS and the business owners to say, ‘We’re going to investigate this.’ I’d like to hear a lot of input first from the residents and business owners.”
However, “I agree with (the idea of an alternate access),” he said. “When (the new) school opens, that intersection is a disaster sometimes anyway just due to the volume of traffic, but I’d like to hear what people have to say.”
“I sit in that traffic everyday,” said Vice Mayor Scott Meyer, who voted for the motion. “Every morning I sit there, and I watch the people try to pull in and out of the subdivision, and it’s chaos.”
“So, I’m going on record saying I support it,” he said. “I think it’s something that needs to be done. I’m surprised we haven’t had more accidents already the way it is.”
“I support it as well, for a lot of reasons,” said Mayor Ron Williams, who resides in Sugarwood subdivision. “I see the chaos as well because I live there.
He also voted in favor of drafting another access.
“In the mornings, it’s impossible to get out of there,” Williams said. “Nobody even remotely tries to turn left because of the chaos the vice mayor’s talking about.
“The piece of property that is between CVS and entrance to Sugarwood is a dead piece of property,” he said. “To line up, it would have to come up on CVS property.
“(Another access) would help now,” Willams added. “It would help when the school is there.
“The way I’ll support it is the way this (proposal) is written,” he said. “It’s a professional services agreement … to develop and design plans for access. I think once you have that, you take it to the Sugarwood residents and let them look at it and tell them what you have in mind.
“Without it … you’re like a deer in the headlights. You don’t know what you are looking at,” he added.
Town administrator David Smoak said he has talked with the CVS Pharmacy owner, who “is very interested in working with the Town.” He added they just want to see what (the design) would look like.
“We can have those meetings with the residents to give them a heads up,” Smoak said. Burnette said he would meet with residents.
On another street-related matter, some Town streets may be a little brighter in the future, as the Board unanimously voted in favor of purchasing 24 illuminated street signs from TAPCO for $81,540 to improve the Town’s intersections.
Assistant Town engineer Eric Schindler said the following intersections will be upgraded in the first phase with the new signs: Kingston Pike/Concord Road, Kingston Pike/Lendon Welch Way, Kingston Pike/Brooklawn Street, Kingston Pike/Campbell Station Road, Kingston Pike/Smith Road and Campbell Station Road/Grigsby Chapel Road/ Parkside Drive.
“The illuminated street signs will be installed after receipt via separate contract coordination,” Schindler said.
“I’m looking forward to this,” Cain said. “Growing up in Southern California, we had these illuminated signs back in the ’80s, and it sure is nice when you’re traveling.”
“I’m like Alderman Cain,” Williams said. “I spent some time in Southern California as well. The signs are kind of a neat thing. And, during my time working with Orange County out there, one of the things that the police department would tell us was (the signs) prevent a lot of wrecks, and that’s rear-enders, people see them and keep going. They’re not trying to slow down to read the sign … I think it’s a great addition.”
In other business, the Board voted unanimously to:
• Approve Ordinance 25-16 on second reading that replaces its existing section on Copies of Records and Ordinances with a new section titled Guidelines for Access to and Reproduction of Public Records and Schedule of Charges for Reproductions of Public Records.
• Approve a contract between the Town, Knox County and the Building Authority regarding managmenet of the West Knox Senior Center.
• Cancel the Thursday, Nov. 27, and Dec. 25, meetings because of the holidays.
• Approve an ordinance, on second reading, that separates the roles of Town recorder and Town treasurer.
• Approve a change to the Town’s fee schedule regarding beer permits, adding the special occasion beer permit of $100 to the schedule.
• Approve a professional services agreement with Cannon & Cannon Inc. for $33,750 to design a culvert replacement on South Monticello Drive.
