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Shelbyville City Council faces growth issues

By DAVID MELSON - dmelson@t-g.com
Posted 9/13/22

Growth and planning issues took up most of Shelbyville City Council’s time in last Tuesday night’s monthly meeting.

A plan known as Design Option #2 for widening of Fairfield Pike …

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Shelbyville City Council faces growth issues

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Growth and planning issues took up most of Shelbyville City Council’s time in last Tuesday night’s monthly meeting.
A plan known as Design Option #2 for widening of Fairfield Pike was approved on a 6-0 vote.
The $4 million project will include construction of curbs, gutters and sidewalks on the heavily-traveled street. Traffic will be dramatically increasing in the next few years due to housing developments and the new Cartwright Elementary School.
Drainage work
Approval of submission of an application to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation for $3 million in American Rescue Program funds was deferred until a discussion can be held with Shelbyville Power Board. The meeting is scheduled for 12 noon Friday at Shelbyville Recreation Center. A special City Council meeting will follow at 12:30 to vote on the grant. The submission must be made by month’s end.
At issue is whether the funds will be primarily used to repair sewer and water lines and drainage pipes in northern Shelbyville or to construct new lines in growth areas such as the city-county industrial park. Some of those proposed new areas are outside the city limits. Council member Henry Feldhaus is strongly backing new lines, while Mayor Wallace Cartwright prefers the funds be used to repair existing lines within the city.
Zoning issues
Two zoning issues received unanimous approval on second and final reading, following public hearings in which no one spoke.
•The Shelbyville zoning ordinance was amended to create a section known as Medium-High Density Residential Districts (R-3A).
•Rezoning from low density (R-1) to medium density (R-2) residential for 11.74 acres on Dover Street was approved. The land was referred to on the council agenda and ordinance text as “owned by Arnold Betty Dean.” State property records indicate the property was sold by Betty Dean Arnold to Travis Owen Floyd on July 29 and includes a home constructed in 1939.
•The council also voted to adopt the current municipal comprehensive plan and accompanying future land use map, replacing 2008 documents. Feldhaus congratulated his fellow council members for their vote.
Approval was granted on first reading for rezoning of 27.55 acres on the north side of Brown Lane, owned by Curl Properties LLC, from low density (R-2) to medium density (R-3) residential. An identical request was approved for 3.08 acres on the east side of Fairfield Pike owned by J.D. and Becky Bradford.
Grants
•The council voted 6-0 to authorize payment of a $5,000 tourism grant to Bell Buckle Chamber of Commerce. This was approved by the Tourism & Marketing Advisory Board in March and by the council itself in a study session earlier this month.
Funds had been requested in March to publicize three events, the RC Cole-Moon Pie Festival, Daffodil Day, and the Best of The Butts Barbecue, through advertising on one Nashville television station.
The money will come from the Hotel/Motel Fund, which consists of taxes paid by lodging businesses, largely derived from visitors to Bedford County.
Council member Marilyn Ewing questioned the background of the grants.
They were originally handled by the Shelbyville-Bedford County Chamber of Commerce before its reorganization, when it had much more involvement in promoting tourism than now. This grant is the only one in which the tourism board had direct involvement
•An application for a $100,000 downtown improvement grant from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development was approved. Business owners will be required to match any monies received from the grant.
A total of slightly over $114,000 was requested earlier this year for tourism by Shelbyville-Bedford County Economic Development Director Shane Hooper. Requests for money from that fund are made on a case-by-case basis. The $5,000 has been regularly given to the Bell Buckle Chamber in past years.
Other business
•Certificates of compliance were signed for El Gallito Supertaqiria, North Main Street, and for Main Street Wine and Spirits for a new location at 100 Madison St. in the former Rite-Aid building. The liquor store currently operates just south of that building on North Main Street.
•Purchase of a Ford pickup for $35,319, $5,000 over the budgeted amount, for the Parks and Recreation Department through a state contract.
•Routine amendments to the city budget for fiscal year 2022-23.
Board appointments
Several were appointed to city boards by Cartwright.
•Benny Young, Andrea Lovvorn and Ronald Tillman were named to the ADA  (Americans with Disabilities Act) Board.
•George Johnson, Mark Betzelberger, Robert Johnson and Brad McGee were named as adult representatives and Callie Boyette as youth representative to the Parks Board.
•Mary Pitner was named to an unexpired term on the Library Board.