[EQAB-list] subtle shift in favor of urban design?

Wed May 13 23:29:41 EDT 2009

Dear EQAB members,

See John Huotari's article below.

"the City prefers an urban design" for S.R. 95?

Progress!

You are a good board.

Robert

-- 
Robert G Kennedy III, PE
www.ultimax.com

Road project too close to homes?
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   By John Huotari | john.huotari at oakridger.com
The Oak Ridger
Posted May 12, 2009 @ 09:00 AM

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OAK RIDGE, Tenn. - Residents in West Oak Ridge are opposing current
design plans for the next phase of a road widening project on the Oak
Ridge Turnpike, saying the proposed expansion passes too close to their
homes and they didn't know about the project when they bought their
properties.

"That's the biggest concern ... people didn't know," said Oksana
Kravchenko, who lives on Sweet Gum Lane.

At issue is the last phase of a long-awaited project to widen the
well-traveled Turnpike, also known as state Route 95 or 58, from
Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge to Interstate 40 in Roane County. The last
phase of the project would widen the Turnpike from Westover Drive to the
SR 95/58 Interchange, passing near the Southwood and Sweet Gum
subdivisions.

Twenty-five residents in those subdivisions have signed a petition
asking the state to modify its construction plans. Last week, several of
them attended the Oak Ridge City Council meeting and asked the city to
oppose the project's current design.

The residents have asked that a proposed median be eliminated or
narrowed near Southwood, and they also want the roadway widening project
shifted to the west, where possible, near Sweet Gum. The citizens said
the majority of the SR 95 expansion would be on their side of the
roadway -- the eastern side -- even though there is empty right-of-way
land on the western side, owned by the U.S. Department of Energy and
Tennessee Valley Authority.

"Nobody lives across the road," Kravchenko said Friday.

Among other things, the residents have concerns about safety, noise and
property values.

"The safety considerations for including a median are well understood,"
the petition states. "However, it is not understood why the same safety
considerations are not being considered for homeowners who will have a
highway built very close to many of their homes with no barrier for
safety or noise."

The residents are asking for a noise and safety barrier or wall near
Sweet Gum, in places where the roadway widening project cannot be
shifted to the west.

Kravchenko said there was a public hearing on the project nine years
ago, but, at the time, the land now occupied by the subdivisions was
empty. In the petition, residents said right-of-way and construction
plans were developed before most homes were built in the Southwood and
Sweet Gum subdivisions.

"Two homes in Sweet Gum have been built with construction easements
barely 12 feet from the structures, even though the two new lanes are
over 50 feet away from the homes," the petition said.

Oak Ridge City Manager Jim O'Connor told Council members last Monday
that the Tennessee Department of Transportation has been informed that
the city doesn't want to slow down the project. but would prefer an
urban, rather than rural, design for the last phase of the roadway. An
urban design would mean that the median would be narrowed, he said. That
would narrow the roadway corridor and keep SR 95 farther from homes.

But one potential problem with narrowing the median: It is used for
water runoff, O'Connor said.

He said the last phase of the road widening project could be put out for
bid in September or October. It won't be funded with federal stimulus
money, but would instead use state and federal funds.

Currently, the Turnpike is being widened from Illinois Avenue to
Westover Drive.

John Huotari can be contacted at (865) 220-5533.

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Lazybones1 day ago
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Welcome to the real world, west-enders.
JQ_Citizen23 hours ago
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The needs of the many outweigh the needs of a few.

Sorry, I just got back from the new Star Trek movie. (excellent movie,
btw and i'm no trekkie)
doesnotmatter23 hours ago
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Are there not high tension lines close to Southwood Ln? If there are,
how close to the road are they? I really don't know but I think you have
to stay a certain distance away from them (the towers that support
them). On the same hand, I agree with those concerned about safety. I
don't see why shifting the road over a little would be that big of a
deal, other than the historic guard shack, but a little more planning
really wouldn't be so mentally taxing now would it??
bones22 hours ago
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There was public planning nine years ago. But these folks didn't live
there then but want the road moved for them now! I wonder if we could
move the civic center a little closer to the parking lot? I'd like that
better and it would be safer or maybe I just wouldn't get as wet when it
rained. Makes as much sense to me.
JQ_Citizen20 hours ago
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Live in a flood plain and you will eventually get wet.
Live next to a major thorofare and eventually the road will get widened.

Is it really that hard?
DMyers10 hours ago
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There will be several homes up for sale, many families will leave Oak
Ridge. This happened in Clinton.
Cactus Jack9 hours ago
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I think they could modify plans and move the widening project to the
west side of the roadway, since there is nothing there right now,
obviously the homes there were not there when the original plan was
drawn up. Be flexible, lets try to keep people here in OR. (actually
this road should have been widened 40 years ago, K-25 was working then
and those who remember the traffic backups on day shift would have
appreciated a widened road).
Margarita8 hours ago
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Let's see: I hear there are illegal immigrants in the city of Oak Ridge
driving illegally, causing wrecks, and not coming to court. Then, the
red light cameras given to us by Charlie Hensley, Jane Miller and the
mayor. Now, a new road that homeowners don't want near their expensive
homes. Gosh, anyone want to move to Oak Ridge? Anyone want to even drive
through Oak Ridge?
kmaria885 hours ago
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'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of a few,'- it appears that
Adolph Hitler would make a fine home in Oak Ridge, if he were alive.
Philosophies of some (or many?) are so similar. By the way, west-enders
want to modify the project the way, beneficial to everybody. We are not
starting a war, but we wouldn't like to be walked on our heads.
Regarding illegal immigrants just driving through Oak Ridge, I haven't
met anyone. Personally, I am internationally recognized artist and an
American Citizen, honored because of my work. As I discovered, many of
my neighbours, especially foreigners by birth, are very distinguished
and often internationally recognized individuals from all areas of life.
Unfortunately, I discovered that some (or many?) are very chauvinistic
toward newcomers, especially of foreign background. So does law need to
be broken to benefit some? I am an American Citizen, and I care for my
country. Oksana Kravchenko
kmaria881 hour ago
Report AbuseOne more thing. There is a difference between an idea of
moving the Civic Center and moving the road. The person who works in the
Civic Center does not own it, and is probably paid from my taxes and the
taxes of my neighbors. I own my house and I pay taxes. So, this is the
big difference.
http://www.oakridger.com/localnews/x1993049996/Road-project-too-close-to
-homes

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