Stop The Fifth Interchange
at Mine Lick Creek Road
Cookeville, Tennessee
DEconstructing the Concocted Road Avrice Propaganda IN General
TRANSPORTATION POLICY
Last updated 25 JUNE 2009
2:30 A
THE NEWS, OPINION AND COMMENTARY NOT AVAILABLE IN THE HERALD-CITIZEN
Welcome to the TOUR website. (Taxpayers Opposed to Useless Roads) This web site is for those people who want better government policy in road building. It is an exploration of the factors and frustrations surrounding the planning and management of transportation infrastructure in the state of Tennessee. Particular emphasis will be on the Proposed Mine Lick Creek Interchange in Cookeville, Tennessee but,there are many projects like this throughout Tennessee.
Since the justification for the Interchange has changed substantially from a interconnection between two four lane highways to serving a new business park with no four lane intersection, that business park and especially the construction of infrastucture will be added to the content. Besides that, the application for a certificate of need calls for the construction of a four lane down the middle of the park, including a 300 foot long bridge. Unless this is a tourist attraction so people in Nashville can come and see what an empty street looks like, it is just another useless road and bridge. This is going to be our bridge to nowhere. An unused road, business park or auto factory will operate at a low economic efficiency and have substantial long term impacts and consequences for the taxpayer.
If you pump gas, pass through the state or ride the bus, you are going to be effected by the policies and proceedures of the Tennessee Department of Transportation or TDOT. I believe that better transportation policy is achievable through the ethical treatment of all taxpayers and seek to provide the other side of the story that is not known either through ignorance, blind trust or strategic misrepresentation.
Danny L. Newton
1018 Rose Garden Lane 38501
931-432-5345
FIFTH INTERCHANGE TIMELINE 30 SEPT 1988 Herald-Citizen Reports that Vice Mayor Grogan expects Fifth Interchange by the year 2000. Estimate for the interchange is $1 million. The estimated cost of extending Gould drive to the industrial park is $500 thousand. 03 DEC 1998 Cookeville City Council asks TDOT to perform a feasibility study on constructing fifth interchange on I-40 at Mine Lick Creek Road. SPONSOR-JIM SHIPLEY 01 APRIL 1999 The Cookeville City Council asks TDOT to study the Maple Avenue flyover at I-40 as the new Fifth Interchange. 25 OCT 2000 TDOT dates the Interschange Justification Study for Federal Highway Administration Review as part of Corridor J intersection at Mine Lick Creek Road. 20 MAY 2002 Cookeville proposes to move the city limits to the vicinity to surround the Fifth Interchange 21 JUNE 2002 TDOT Advance planning report on the Northern Connector 15 JULY 2003 Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury releases report to the legislature with reccommendations for objective system of project selection. AUG 2003 Final Report of Independant Investigation Sanctioned by TDOT. Studies selection process of 15 problematic road projects in Tennessee, Mine Lick Creek Road is one of them. 24 FEB 2003 City of Cookeville approves alternate "A" as Phase I Councilman Sam Sallee asks that The Northern Connector be Considered as Phase II. 22 AUG 2005 City of Sparta, in White County, throws in $50,000 for the Highlands Iniative 22 SEPT 2005 Herald-Citizen reports Highlands Initiative Kickoff with $2million. OCT 2005 State Transportation Improvement Plan Shows Project #71005 "Construct New Interchange at Mine Lick Creek Road" ROW acquisition marked for 2006 and construction marked for 2008. See Adobe Page 41/99. Estimated Cost is $10.3 million. DECEMBER 2005 TDOT Provides explaination of the Project Evaluation System. 21 JAN 2005 City of Cookeville announces taking an option on property to be in future industrial park. Mayor Doubts that Fifth Interchange will be built. Sam Salee says more industrial properties needed.WARNING! HERLD CITIZEN VERSION OF THE TRUTH 23 MAR 2003 TDOT report reccommends using SR 111, not Mine Lick Creek Road for Corridor J intersection with I-40. 24 MAY 2006 Tennessee Legislature removes protection from land owners when government acts to build roads or build industrial parks. Bill allows transfer of property to private concerns. Charlotte Burkes listed as a sponser. 29 JUNE 2006 Putnam County loans Cookeville $2,452,685 for their share of the Business Park. 14 DEC 2006 TDOT Signs the Environmental Assessment FHWA concures later on 18 APRIL 2008. The connecting road is to have a design speed of 70 MPH and 250 foot wide controlled access right-of-way. 05 JUNE 2006 Tennessee Governor signs bill limiting the ability of the state, county and city to condemn property. PDF FILE HERE 16 JAN 2007 County Commission votes to listen to Mrs Lynch's side of the story and votes down condemnation request. 05 FEB 2007 Center Hill Regional Planning Meeting votes on transportation projects 06 MARCH 2007 TDOT Holds a public Meeting on the Fifth Interchange 29 JUNE 2007 $5 million transferred out of Putnam county Debt Service Fund to by 400 Acre Business Park. 01 NOV 2007 Condemnation of Pyle Property on the City Council Agenda. The vote was unanimous. 12 NOV 2007 The County Planning Commission in a voice vote decides to condemn the Pyle Property. 13 NOV 2007 The Cookeville Chamber of Commerce Refused Tour Editor Access to Engineering Report on the Highland Business Park. 14 NOV 2007 The Chamber of Commerce called a little after 5 PM to advise the Tour Editor that they had prepared a copy of the report that is being used to justify the condemdation of the Pyle Property and that it would be available at the front desk.
12 FEB 2008 The Sheriff Served Mrs. Lynch a summons this morning to initiate the condemnation process on her land. 17 MAR 2008 The City and the County ammend their condemnation suit. This will push back the court date into April 2008. 17 MAR 2008 The Herald-Citizen quotes TDOT spokesperson Jenifer Osborne Flynn as saying that the Fifth Interchange and the Northern Connector are "non related." This suggests that the useless road attached to the interchange can be built later. 18 APRIL 2008 Federal Highway Adnistration, Charles J O'Neil, signs Finding of No Signifigant Impact Statement For Mine Lick Creek Interchange Road And Northern Connector Road. 25 APRIL 2008 THE LYNCH FAMILY ANNOUNCE THAT THE COUNTY AND THE CITY HAVE WITHDRAWN FROM LEGAL ACTION TO PRESS THEIR OUTRAGEOUS EMINENT DOMAIN ABUSE UPON THE LYNCH FAMILY 01 MAY 2008 TDOT puts up a partial electronic copy on their web site of the FONSI. This describes the staged construction of the connecting road from two to four lane but on a four lane right-of-way. 08 MAY 2008 The Lynch Family files a petition for Partition in Kind in Circuit Court. Attorneys ask for legal costs and damages. 09 MAY 2008 Herald-Citizen prints Finding of No Signifigant Impact or FONSI claiming that the Northern Connector and the Fifth Interchange are Connected. 18 JUNE 2008 The City Attorney suddenly discovers that he has to go on vaction on the same day that the City and County are scheduled in court to continue their campaign of eminent domain abuse. The Judge rescheduled the next court date to 21 JULY 08. 03 JUL 2008 City announces on the radio that they are paying $16 million to the Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation to compensate them for land annexed in the past few years. 21 JUL 2008 Judge Turnbull permits the city and the county to witdraw from their previous motion to withdraw from the suit. The judge further suggests that the two parties settle the matter out of court in a judicial confrence in November. The Judge allows further delay, until next year for the city and the county to obtain a Certificate of Public Purpose. 03 OCT 2008 The Herald Citizen reported that The city of Cookeville and Putnam County are seeking a certificate of public purpose and necessity from the state Building Finance Committee of the Tennessee Board of Economic Growth. The Cookeville City Council approved a resolution authorizing City Manager Jim Shipley to apply for the certificate during its meeting Thursday. 09 OCT 2008 the Cookeville City Council applies to the Building Finance Committee of the Tennessee Board of Economic Growth for a certificate of public purpose and necessity for the proposed Highlands Business Park." 14 OCT 2008 County Planning Commission approves petition for Certificate of Public Purpose and Necessity at the regular meeting. Kim Blaylock announces that the Business Park is on a "Fast Track." Linda Owens was denied chance to speak at the County Commission Meeting. 23 OCT 2008 The Lynch Family Attorney, Bob Anderson's Appeal to alter the discretionary finding by Judge Turnbull earlier in the year was denied. The Judge also denied a request that the money held in escrow be held in an interest bearing account. 14 NOV 2008 Centerhill RPO moves Fifth Interchange back down to 2011/2012 time frame after voting 11 projects ahead of it in 2010. Project Manager states that this was at the request of local officials. 17 NOV 2008 The county Commission agan refused Linda Owens a spokesperson for Mrs Lynch and the family to address the county commission or accept a written summary of her intended remarks. A resolution to issue general Obligation bonds was passed for the county portion of the $14.28 million of infrastructure costs. 20 NOV 2008 The Cookeville City Council approved a resolution to move forward with a PILOT program of tax incentives and to issue General Obligation Bonds to fund the $7.2 portion of the work in the Business Park. The City Council voted to pay the consultants for their work on water, sewer, gas and road design in the new park. 03 DEC 2008 The city of Cookeville let it be know publicly that contacts with TDOT have been made that suggest that use of connector road that was approved by FHWA and shown to the public in the public meetings could be elimiminated and instead, they wanted a road built by the city and the county to be considered as the connector road. The connector road in the original design was originally designed as a four lane that was part of the Corridor J project. It also was a fragment of a half loop around Cookeville that went from SR111, south of Cookeville to SR111 North of Cookeville. 8 DEC 2008 Recently elected state Representative Henry Fincher criticizes the City of Cookeville for lobbying TDOT to alter the plan for the Fifth Interchange. 27 JAN 2009 City of Cookeville and County Officials request secret meeting with the Department of Economic and Communbity Development to discuss their application for a Certificate of Need. 05 MARCH 2009 Cookeville and Putnam County gets certificate for an industrial park and a business park for a reduced footprint of about 290 acres. This excludes land under contention because of the partition and condemnation suits. 30 APRIL 2009 Deadline for City/County to respond or withdraw from suit passes. State Supreme Court to hear the case and make a decision, possibly in six months. 03 JUNE 2009 Tennessee Supreme Court hears Eminent Domain Abuse case concerning the government land grab at the Fifth Interchange. . RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS LINKS CONTACT YOUR TENNESSEE STATE TRANSPORATION OFFICIALS House Committee on Transportation REPRESENTATIVE BILL HARMON, CHAIRMAN District 37 — Sequatchie, Van Buren, Grundy and Marion Counties Phone (423) 949-5100 Fax (615) 253-0264 Phone (615) 741-6849 CONTACT:Sandy Sain REPRESENTATIVE VINCE DEAN, VICE CHAIR District 30 — Part of Hamilton County Phone (615) 741-1934 Fax (615) 253-0271 CONTACT: Joan Achuff REPRESENTATIVE GEORGE FRALEY, SECRETARY District 39 — Franklin, Moore, and part of Lincoln Counties Phone (615) 741-8695 Fax (615) 741-5759 CONTACT: Stephanie Peterson REPRESENATIVE JUDY BARKER District 77 — Obion, Lake and part of Dyer Counties Phone: (615) 741-0718 Contact: Audrey Jenkins REPRESENATIVE TY COBB District 64 — Part of Maury County Phone: (615) 741-3005 CONTACT: Connie Phelps REPRESENTATIVE HENRY FINCHER District 42 — Part of Putnam County Phone (615) 741-1875 Contact: Jennifer Murphy REPRESENTATIVE RICHARD FLOYD District 27 — Part of Hamilton County Phone (615) 741-2746 Fax (615) 253-0304 Contact: Cheryl Goodson REPRESENTATIVE MATTHEW HILL Phone: 615-741-2251 District 7 — Part of Washington County Contact: Carol Burroughs REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIP JOHNSON District 78 — Cheatham and part of Montgomery and Williamson Counties Phone (615) 741-7477 Contact: Celeste Thomas REPRESENTATIVE JIMMY MATLOCK District 21 — Parts of Loudon and Monroe Counties Phone (615) 741-3736 Contact: Brenda Moore REPRESENTATIVE BARRETT RICH Phone: (615) 741-6890 District 94 — Fayette and parts of Hardeman and Tipton Counties CONTACT: B. L. Rhodes REPRESENTATIVE TONY SHIPLEY District 2 — Part of Sullivan County Phone: (615) 741-2886 CONTACT: B. L. Rhodes REPRESENTATIVE JOHN C. TIDWELLDistrict 74 — Houston, Humphreys, Perry, and parts of Hickman and Maury Counties Phone (931) 535-2619 Phone (615) 741-7098 Fax (615) 741-4324 Contact: Debra Webb REPRESENTATIVE BEN WEST Rep. Ben West Jr. D-HermitageDistrict 60 — Part of Davidson County Phone (615) 889-0801 Phone (615) 741-6959 Fax (615) 253-0331 Contact: Mary Adair You can find all bills, fiscal notes, bill histories and co-sponsors, U.S. mail legislative and district office addresses and streaming video of committee and subcommittee meetings HERE RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS LINKSSENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE: RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS LINKS YOU MIGHT HAVE A USELESS ROAD IF... 1. The road cost more money than it could ever hope to generate in taxes in a lifetime. 2. The local Chamber of Commerce says it will be good for the economy 3. The Chamber of Commerce organizes a pilgrimage to the Governor's office to tell him that everyone wants it. 4. The local paper tells everybody that if you don't want it your are a NIMBY 5. The local Chamber of Commerce is telling everyone that we have to do this because everyone else is doing it too. 6. The local Chamber of Commerce is claiming that we have to do this to get ahead of everyone else who isn't doing it. 7. TDOT says that it will cure the traffic problems. 8. TDOT says it won't cure the traffic problems. 9. The Chamber of Commerce claims that it will be good for the quality of life. 10. The Chamber of Commerce says it will help get the next factory 11. Your State Representative just thinks you are against it because of a pre-existing oppositional character flaw. 12. The Chamber of Commerce is in secret negotiations with the next whiz-bang company that only needs this road to make the whole deal come together. 13. TDOT is building a four-lane road when a two-lane would still have a high life cycle service level. 14. TDOT is building a road that will damage your business but does not go through your business. (No blood, No foul) RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS LINKS
web counter |