![[SeMissourian.com]](http://www.t-g.com/images/nameplate.png)
RSS
Print
Email link
Respond to editor
Read comments (28)
Share link
del.icio.us
Digg
StumbleUpon
Technorati
Newsvine
Facebook
Furl
Reddit
Google
 Shelbyville Public Works director Mark Clanton began measuring Depot Street on Friday morning in preparation to change the two blocks off the public square back to a two-way street. (T-G Photo by Brian Mosely) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo] |
Public Works director Mark Clanton said Friday that work will begin early Tuesday morning to convert the street back to its original condition.
The work will take most of the day, he said. As a result, Depot Street will go back to parallel parking.
Clanton also stated that the street will need to be repaved in about three to four weeks due to the confusing nature of the black and white striping that indicates parking spots.
Councilman Thomas Landers made the motion to change the street back to two-way due to "the overwhelming majority of the citizens of Bedford County and the city."
Landers listed two reasons -- the safety issues raised by Shelbyville police if the road was made one way toward the square and that having the road going one way outbound was not pleasing to many people.
"Let's just have it go both ways," Landers said to some applause. "That way, everybody will be happy."
Council member Kay Rose said several merchants "begged" her to leave the street one way, but many other citizens have told her they want the street back the way it was.
One Depot Street merchant said that 75 percent of the people can't do parallel parking and that more parking spaces were available in the street's current configuration.
Councilman Al Stephenson said he understood that, but that the council had been receiving phone calls from "a broad segment of the community."
"The majority of calls I got say to turn it back to two way ..." he said.
All council members voted to change Depot Street back to two way except for Jo Ann Holland, who voted no. Councilman Lee Roy Cunningham was not present for Thursday's meeting.
In other council business:
* A motion was passed to accept the report of the Depot Street demolition costs and to make those costs a personal obligation of the property owner.
The city is suing Alice Albrecht for costs associated with last year's razing and restoration of the site on East Depot, totalling $222,280.84, where two buildings once stood near the public square.
The building at 113 E. Depot was damaged last year during the demolition of Albrecht's property at 109 E. Depot, which was considered a dangerous structure.
Contractors and engineers said at the time it would cost over $200,000 to repair it and bring up to code, so the council voted to tear it down as well.
* The council also approved on third and final reading of a proposed expansion of the Belmont Avenue Historic District. Homes at 502, 511, 513, 517, 602, 607, 708 and 709 Belmont Ave. will be added to the historic district at the request of the residents. The Shelbyville Historic Zoning Commission recommended and approved the request in April.
A similar ordinance was passed on first reading, asking that 419 and 503 Belmont Ave. be added to the Historic District and that 516 Deery St. be expanded into the Frierson-Eakin Historic District.
* Passed on second reading was a rezoning request for two parcels in Sanders Estate Subdivision from R-1 (low density residential) to R-2 (low density residential).
* Also passed on first reading was an ordinance to amend the city zoning ordinance to re-enact creation of an I-3 zone concerning Special Impact Industrial District identified as an I-3 zone.
* An ordinance passed on first reading that requires any building on a commercial or industrial zone to be site-built and designed for permanent connection to the city's water and sewer systems. The building would also have to be on "a permanently enclosed concrete or masonry foundation."
* A motion was passed that authorized the city manager and the planning and codes director to negotiate the purchase of properties under the Neighborhood Stabilization Housing Grant and to approve the mayor and city recorder to execute the documents to acquire the properties.
With the grant, the city can purchase blighted properties around Shelbyville within specific guidelines, demolish them, and prepare the lots for other homes to be built.
* Also passed was a motion to authorize the mayor to execute contracts with NuVox Photo for a one-year extension to increase Internet bandwidth at the Shelbyville Police Department.
* A motion was approved to execute an airport maintenance contract with the Tennessee Department of Transportation for fiscal year 2009-10 in the amount of $13,000.
* Approval was given to take bids to relocate electric service for Central Memorial Gym and also to take bids to seal (waterproof) the Recreation Center building.
* The council also appointed Tom Taylor and Wanda Woodlee to fill two vacancies on the city's Beer Board.
Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. If you feel that a comment is offensive, please ![[Order this photo]](http://t-g.mycapture.com/mycapture/remoteimage.asp?backtext=Return%20to%20site&backurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.t-g.com%2Fstory%2F1562558.html&thumbpath=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.t-g.com%2Fphotos%2F12%2F60%2F95%2F1260955-S.jpg&previewpath=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.t-g.com%2Fphotos%2F12%2F60%2F95%2F1260955-L.jpg&pricingsheetid=1482){kind=link}
I am happy to learn that Depot Street will be put back like it was for fifty plus years! It was certainly not pleasing to the public to be denied access to the public square via the Depot Street route.
How much did all of this work to Depot Street cost the Bedford Co. taxpayers?
"Clanton also stated that the street will need to be repaved in about three to four weeks due to the confusing nature of the black and white striping that indicates parking spots"
Talk about wasting money. What is wrong with PAINTING the street instead of repaving? There is nothing wrong with the road!
Just as the old saying goes:If its not broke, don't fix it.Re paint the road. And next time someone comes up with a new idea.Don't make a change.Leave things as they are. Because most of the time, the old way is better.
Just as the old saying goes:If its not broke, don't fix it.Re paint the road. And next time someone comes up with a new idea.Don't make a change.Leave things as they are. Because most of the time, the old way is better.
Just as the old saying goes:If its not broke, don't fix it.Re paint the road. And next time someone comes up with a new idea.Don't make a change.Leave things as they are. Because most of the time, the old way is better.
Thank Goodness we are going back. Such confusion it created.
I do not live in Shelbyville any more but I spent the first 31 years of my life there, so I do not have a dog in that fight. However, I am pleased that it was decided to make it two-way again.
There's a lot more productive things that this clanton fellow could be doing rather than measuring depot street, like taking that wheel of his and measuring how far it is to mexico and how much it'd cost for transportation for the illegals back home, and how far it is to somalia so tyson's management of shelbyville and others can take their global behinds there and be global all they want to, just not here in the USA where Americans fought and died so they could exercise their crooked ways. If clanton can't do that, then there is another place he can shove his wheel, shelbyville is not nashville, that is unless these idiot leaders want to be obamafied and give amesty to all the illegals, boy talk about selling out america and defacing the folks that fought and died for it. Lets just make it easy for them and forget that jesus died on the cross and all become muslims, that's where your heading anyhow, why waste a lot of time, just get it over with. Or maybe the city can buy clanton a bigger wheel so he can be more noticed.
tmixer 5,
take your meds!
i took my meds and i agree with tmixer5
Well its about time that they put the road back to the way it was and I agree 100% with wheelbillie.
kewl, nice to see a two way street restored.
How much money was wasted on this bright idea?? And whose idea was it again??? Ed Craig maybe? I don't recall but regardless glad to see our city manager and council members putting so much effort into such important issues. And now its going to cost even more money to repave the street because all the markings could confuse drivers. Anyone else ready for election day??
I guess I'm the only person around who actually liked the additional parking the one-way street provided.
Why change it back?
Whose opinions were taken prior to the conversion to "Oneway" for those 2 blocks of Depot street, the merchants on those respective blocks or the public's? Your city council made a choice and spent the money, made the change. The outcome, a small one block inconvience to people commuting thru the square vs. utilizing it, and the convience of more easily accessible parking spots for the merchants on those 2 respective blocks as well as the shops on the square. Those parking spots added an ease of access an probably a increase of patronage to said merchants. An increase in patronage is an increase in sales and taxes being paid back to the city. Let's not forget that if you increase access to a location such as a commercial property, the value of said property grows as well, the property tax could inheirently go up as well.
So, in effect if you change it back, you waste the money already spent, and you deny yourselves and your citizen merchants the opportunity to prosper, because a few can't stand a little change in their lives!
For those that can't parallel park they were going to have to drive around the block to find an easier parking spot anyway.
AS far as repaving, I agree with painting over the stripes vs spending money on repaving, I'm sure the roadworkers won't mind the loss of potential work. Tell you what, to save yourselves more money, let the city council that voted for the change to oneway followed by the change back to the oldway, make it a self help project, and repaint the street themselves.
And to Tmixer5;
What ever happened to "Give us your poor, your tired, your huddled masses longing to be free..."
Amnesty for the illegals,was started by Bush not Obama. Obama isn't responsible for the North American Free Trade Agreement that sent U.S. jobs across the border. Obama inherited the problem when he took the job.
For the record, I'm not a liberal, if you live here, you should work. If you work here, you should pay taxes here. Nothing here is free, to draw benefits you should join up and pay your dues. Meaning, become a citizen or get a proper work visa, and pay taxes on the money earned here.
To lonewolf2110,
Thank you for agreeing with me.
After all it's just common sense.Which alot of people lack.Most have all kinds of degrees or licences.But you can't hang common sense in a frame and hang it on a wall.
So if it's not broke don't fix it. And most ole dogs hates to be taught new tricks.....
And I am glad its a 2 way again soon.As long as it works, leave it alone.
To the idiot tmixer5:
first and foremost, Mark Clanton's job does not consist of trying to get transportation for the illegals back to mexico or the Somanian's that work at Tyson. If your going to ridicule Mark Clanton, at least ridicule him for something he's not doing instead of something he has no control over! Grow up and talk trash about someone who can change that, like say the State of Tn? Mark Clanton does a very well job at what he is handed and I commend him for all he's done with everything that has happened in the last few months. Grow up tmixer5, pick and choose your battles.
Just going to add my two cents here. I was for the one way on Depot Street and still am. As a merchant on that section of street, my business increased. I had people that could not parallel park be able to come into my store.I know that there is other parking around the square but,the people that I gained were elderly and could not parallel park or were able to walk the block to my store. I had people that were disabled(handicap parking will be taken away)be able to come into my store. I had people pull up in front of my store and get out of the car and say "Hey, look a book store" and then come in and spend money in my store.
I am glad that those who were all for the two-way got what they wanted but I bet it won't cost them a single penny. I however, will lose money when they close the street down to put it back to two-way and the days that they re-pave. Trust me on this I know, when they close the street I have no parking and no business. Just take a stroll down memory lane and think of all that has kept my little section of Depot Street closed over the last year. I guess the city is wealthy enough not to need more tax money from a merchant like me but I am not wealthy enough to lose out on the business.
For those who wanted it back to two way: I ask this of you. Slow it down when you travel on that section of Depot. I know of several pedestrians that have almost been hit, me included. Be aware that someone just might be trying to park so don't run up on their bumper. Stay back and give them the room that they need.
For those of you out there that enjoyed the convenience of the easy parking coming to my store I am sorry. I tried. If you can't find a place to park or can't parallel park just come around back. Hopefully there will be a spot available in the new city parking lot.
I will have to say "excuse me". I did drive around the square today. I don't know what that HUGH piece of metal is doing on the corner of the square coming "down" depot street. Looks like maybe the road was tore up... so maybe repaving does need to be done.
As far as the direction of depot street. I personally do not care. I am still young enough to walk all the way around the square and down the side roads. I have NEVER parked on Depot Street because I did not want my car door torn off while trying to exit my car from the speeding traffic. I didn't think it was that much better with the one way traffic and the people flying off the square. Post some "speed limit signs" and write a few tickets might help more than the one way. Nuff said!
Another waste of taxpayer money, it has worked for years, why change it. Landers made a great decision to go back to a two way, he would make a geat mayor. Two hundred thousand dollars to demolish two small buildings seems a bit extreem, I would knock it down with a sledgehammer and haul it away with a wheelbarrow for one forth the price, maybe someone should look into who let out the bid and who got the bid.
I bet Clanton Brothers paving get the bid again!!!
If Landers becomes Mayor I would pack all my possesions and leave this town!!!!! He is an out right LIAR. I know of two lies he has told in the city counsel meetings and he just got on the counsel. Lord help us if he was to run this town!
You have to be kidding me! I liked the one way lane...the fact that they're making it a two way street again makes it impossible for me to hit up the record shop now...
While I'm sure the extra parking helped the merchants on those 2 blocks, the decrease in the ease of access to the square hurts the businesses on the square itself. There is less traffic on the square with Depot St blocked, so businesses get much less traffic and visibility. With most of the town's business moving out towards North Main and 231N, the merchants on the square need all the visibility they can get. Bottom line is you can't please everyone at the same time. Some will be hurt and others will be helped with whatever changes are made.
To tmixer5: The people who "faught and died" for our country did it in the name of freedom, including freedom of religion. That was one of the most ignorant posts I've seen, beginning to end.
Wow depot street looks great! Why dont we do the entire square? The buildings look great with the contrast of the road. Now thats how a great town should look. Thank you Masterseal