The Smithville Water Treatment plant renovation is almost completed.
Mayor Taft Hendrixson, during Monday night’s city council meeting, reported to the aldermen that the project may be finished within a month. “Our water plant is about 95% complete. I think the cleaning of the floor, the resurfacing of the floor and several clean up things down there is about all they have to do,”he said
Secretary -Treasurer Hunter Hendrixson added “to date we have spent $2,399,000 out of $2,592,000 so there’s roughly $193,000 remaining. A total of $433,892 have been paid back to us (city) through the CDBG grant. So we’re getting close to being done,” he said
Mayor Hendrixson said “The water plant is state of the art. All of you need to see that. But the flooring, they’re resurfacing the terrazzo floor and it’s going to look good. It already looks good. Hopefully by the next meeting or definitely by this time next month, it will be completed,” he said.
Work began in August, 2010 by the W&O Construction Company of Livingston, who was awarded the construction bid in February 2010 by the board of aldermen at a cost of $2,542,000. The city was awarded a $500,000 community development block grant administered by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to help fund the project. But the bulk of the funding, $2,342,000 was appropriated from the city’s water and sewer fund surplus.
The project at the water plant included the installation of new high service pumps; new electrical breaker boxes, new storage tanks, new automated water filter control panel, new chlorinator, new liquid fluoride feeder system, the addition of a new standby generator, among many other renovations and improvements.
Mayor Hendrixson said the city did not have to borrow the money because there were sufficient funds in the city’s water and sewer fund reserves to support the project.
In other business, the Smithville aldermen Monday night approved an amendment on second and final reading following a public hearing updating a section of the zoning ordinance to provide for residential uses within the B-3 Commercial Zoning District.
Mayor Hendrixson said “there is quite a bit of interest in some of the vacant buildings downtown being turned into residential units. Our zoning ordinance does not address that so we need an amendment to that. It has been passed by the planning commission”.
The proposed ordinance reads as follows: “Now therefore, be it ordained by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen of Smithville, that the following sections shall be amended in the Smithville Zoning Ordinance:
Section 106.10.1
“After public notice and hearing, subject to appropriate safeguards and conditions, the Smithville Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) may permit construction of a new building or rehabilitation of an existing building in the Central Business District for Residential or Mixed Commercial-Residential Use. In reviewing applications for such uses or conversions of buildings, the Board of Zoning Appeals will consider the overall effect of the proposal to the area and surrounding properties so that there will not be a detrimental effect to the stability and viability of the Central Business District. In making this determination, this board must evaluate the availability of utilities, number of units proposed, city’s capacity to respond effectively to emergencies, and availability of off-street parking”.
Section 106.10.2
” The following conditions must also be met:
A. Submit site plan and floor plans for BZA review.
B. Provision of some off-street parking spaces for new residential construction that meets the parking requirements for the R-3 Residential Zoning District. Parking for existing structures being rehabilitated/converted to a residence shall be provided on public lots if none are available on site
C. Landscaping of the property if new residential construction
D. Minimum square footage of dwelling units of 650 square feet for one-bedroom unit, 900 square feet for a two-bedroom unit, 1100 square feet for a three-bedroom unit.
E. All new residential construction shall meet R-3 requirements on number of units and setbacks
F. Adherence to requirement of the 2006 International Residential Code and later amendments/updates.”
Meanwhile the board adopted on first reading proposed ordinance #435. This is an ordinance abandoning the roadway on the southside of the South Mountain Street and Adams Street intersection. Second and final reading will be scheduled following a public hearing at the next meeting on Monday, October 17 at 7:00 p.m. at city hall.
Mayor Hendrixson explained that “its on the south side of the South Mountain Street and Adams Street intersection. Its something that was never built. Its known as the Johnson/Turner addition. It happened in the 1940’s but it has never been built.
The proposed ordinance reads as follows: “Whereas the Mayor and Aldermen are aware that the roadway shown on the southside addition of the Johnson/Turner addition dated May 4, 1945 has not been improved nor improved as a roadway since the construction and improvement of Adams Street.
Whereas, no landowner adjoining the roadway shown on the southside of the Johnson/Turner addition dated May 4, 1945 will be land locked by virtue of the abandonment of said roadway.
Whereas the Mayor and Board of Aldermen have concluded that it is in the best interest of the City of Smithville to abandon the roadway shown on the southside of the addition of the Johnson/Turner addition dated May 4, 1945
Now, Therefore be it ordained as follows: Section 1, the City of Smithville does hereby abandon any right, claim, easement, fee, or intent otherwise in the portion of said southside roadway from the South Mountain Street easterly intersection to the present construction of the Adams Street intersection.
Section 2 This ordinance shall take effect upon second and final reading”
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