City Council Moves to Rezone Property for Apartment Complex

The Smithville Aldermen Monday night adopted on first reading an ordinance to rezone property
that may soon become the location for an apartment complex for low-income grandparents raising a child.
The two acre site, owned by Bruce Medley and David Bryan , is located at 721 Bright Hill Road and to the rear of Fiddler’s Manor and other property owners on Walker Drive.
The Smithville Planning Commission voted on January 5th to recommend to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen the re-zoning of the property from R-1 low density residential to R-3 high density residential.
The proposed Fiddlers Manor Annex would actually be situated on 1.76 acres of the property. Site plans have not yet been considered for approval by the planning commission.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded a $1.67 million grant to build eight apartments in Smithville for low-income grandparents who are raising a grandchild.
The grant was awarded to the Upper Cumberland Development District (UCDD) as part of HUD’s Demonstration Program for Elderly Housing for Intergenerational Families.
UCDD was one of only two organizations to receive HUD’s Demonstration grant (the other organization is based out of Chicago).
Larry Webb who runs the Cumberland Regional Development Corporation – UCDD’s nonprofit housing construction partner – explained, in a prepared news release, that the grant money will be used to build six two-bedroom units and two three-bedroom units. Rent will be based on 30 percent of the grandparent’s income minus any medical expenses they have. In addition, UCDD will pay the utility bills.
The proposed re-zoning of the property will be up for second and final reading passage following a public hearing at the next city council meeting on Monday, February 16th at 7:00 p.m.
In other business, the Aldermen approved the list of officers and members of the Smithville Fire Department for 2009 as presented in a letter by Chief Charlie Parker.
Officers and members of the department are:
Chief Charles Parker; Honorary Assistant Chief Robert Eller; Deputy Chief Hoyte Hale; Captain Jeff Wright; Lieutenants Danny Poss, John Poss, Donnie Cantrell, and Kevin Adcock; Firefighters, Anthony Wright, William Brown, Davey Ferrell, Charles Young, Wallace Caldwell, Dusty Johnson, Gary Johnson, James R. Hunt, Stephanie Brown, Stephanie Wright, Joseph Hall, and Glenn Lattimore; and Photographer, Greg Bess.
Glen Lattimore is a new member who has met the 90 day requirements of the department and has been approved for membership.
Mayor Taft Hendrixson wanted to appoint Walter Burton to replace the late John Bill Evins as a member on the Smithville Electric System Board but the aldermen said no. The vote was 3 to 2. Aldermen Tonya Sullivan, Willie Thomas, and Jerry Hutchins, Sr. voted against the appointment while Aldermen Steve White and Cecil Burger voted in favor. The position will remain vacant for now.
Meanwhile, the city apparently gets good marks in it’s latest compliance evaluation of the wastewater treatment plant.
During the city council meeting Monday night, Mayor Hendrixson read a letter from an official of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Cookeville Field Office. “On January 15th, personnel from the Tennessee Division of Water Pollution Control conducted a compliance evaluation inspection at the Smithville Wastewater Treatment facility. The purpose of this inspection was to determine compliance with the NPDES discharge permit and to evaluate the reliability of the data submitted on the monthly operation reports.”
“The Smithville Wastewater Treatment Facility is operating under a permit re-issued in 2007. The permit and laboratory records were available for review at the facility. The review of the MOR for the year 2008 was conducted. No affluent violations have been noted. The wastewater treatment plant laboratory was found to be clean and well equipped. with an established quality control and quality assurance program in place. Calibration records indicate the laboratory instruments are being properly maintained.. I would like to thank Mr. Bobby Pinegar and his staff at the Smithville Wastewater Treatment Facility for their time and courtesy during the inspection.”
Mayor Hendrixson, after reading the letter, added ” I, for one, would like to congratulate Mr. Bobby Pinegar, Mr. Gary Prater, and Mr. Anthony Haseman for their diligent work at our wastewater treatment plant. There were no violations found.”