Stop The Fifth Interchange
at Mine Lick Creek Road
Cookeville, Tennessee
DEconstructing the Concocted Road Avrice Propaganda IN General
TRANSPORTATION POLICY
Last updated on 28 DEC 2007
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 but, there are many projects like this throughout Tennessee. 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
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Dear CARA, TOUR, and Neighbors members and supporters-- Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to a great New Year. A recent article in the H-C said TVA has extended the comment period on the proposed new transmission line to Algood until Jan. 15. The article also indicated that only a handful of comments had been received...which means that if you write a comment it carries more weight than if your comment was only one of hundreds. Please do take the time to send in a comment and influence the outcome of this project. The project "draft environmental assessment" can be seen at LINK TO TVA WEB SITEand the online comment form can be accessed here, too. Click on the above URL, then click on "draft environmental assessment" then click on "online comment form". If you don't have time to wade through all the draft environmental assessment document-- which is long-- then some suggested comments you can make are in our original message sent Dec. 19 (below). Please comment! Thanks and Happy New Year to you all! Ric |
NEXT RPO MEETING DATE
SAVE THE DATE!
Center Hill Rural Planning Organization
Joint Executive Board and Technical
Committee Meeting
Date: Wednesday, 16 January 2008
Place: Magnolia Room, Southern Hills Golf Course, Cookeville
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Directions and Agenda forthcoming
EMINENT DOMAIN ABUSE BUMPER STICKERS AVAILABLE NOW
19:46 12/14/2007
STOP Eminent Domain Abuse Bumper Stickers are available by contacting the TOUR editor via e-mail. Members of the Chamber of Commerce need not apply. Special $100 each price will be levied against City and County Politicians who voted to condemn Mrs. Lynch's Property. Tour Members will get them free.
RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS LINKSFIFTH 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 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
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.
14 DEC 2006 TDOT Signs the Environmental Assessment
05 JUNE 2006 Tennessee Governor signs bill limiting the ability of the state, county and city to condemn property. SB3296/HB3450
16 JAN 2007 County Commission votes to listen to Mrs Lynch's side of the story and votes down condemnation request.Warning!: Herald-Citizen Version
05 FEB 2007 Center Hill Regional Planning Meeting votes on transportation projects
06 MARCH 2007 TDOT Holds a public Meeting on the Fifth Interchange
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 2008 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.
RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS LINKS
CONTACT YOUR TENNESSEE
STATE TRANSPORATION OFFICIALS
House Committee on Transportation
Phillip Pinion, Chair ( D - Union City, District 77 - Obion, Lake, and part of Dyer counties) rep.phillip.pinion@legislature.state.tn.us Representative Phillip Pinion
George W. Fraley, Vice-Chair ( D - Winchester, District 39 - Franklin, Moore, and part of Lincoln counties) rep.george.fraley@legislature.state.tn.us
Representative George FraleyBill Harmon, Secretary ( D - Dunlap, District 37 - Sequatchie, Van Buren, Grundy, and Marion counties) rep.bill.harmon@legislature.state.tn.us
Representative Bill HarmonCurt Cobb ( D - Shelbyville, District 62 - Bedford and parts of Lincoln and Rutherford counties) rep.curt.cobb@legislature.state.tn.us
Representative Curt Cobb Vince Dean, (R - East Ridge, District 30 - Part of Hamilton County ) rep.vince.dean@legislature.state.tn.us Represenattive Vince DeanHenry Fincher, D - (Cookeville, District 42 - Most of Putnam County) rep.henry.fincher@legislature.state.tn.us
Representative Henry, The Fifth Interchange, FincherDale Ford, (R - Jonesborough, District 6 - Part of Washington and Hawkins Counties ) rep.dale.ford@legislature.state.tn.us
Representative Dale FordG. A Hardaway, (D - Memphis, District 92 - Part of Shelby County, Midtown and Inner City Memphis; Communities of Orange Mound, Rozelle, Bethel Grove, Glenview, Magnolia, Copper-Young and Lamar/Parkway corridors, part of Binghampton.) rep.ga.hardaway@legislature.state.tn.us
Representative G.A. HardawayMatthew Hill, ( R - Jonesborough, District 7 - Part of Washington County) rep.matthew.hill@legislature.state.tn.us
Representative Mathew HillCurtis Johnson, (R - Clarksville, District 68 - Part of Montgomery County) rep.curtis.johnson@legislature.state.tn.us
Representative Curtis JohnsonPhillip Johnson, (R - Pegram, District 78 - Cheatham and part of Montgomery and Williamson counties.) rep.phillip.johnson@legislature.state.tn.us
Representativ e Phiillip JohnsonDebra Maggart, (R - Hendersonville, District 45 - Part of Sumner County) rep.debra.young.maggart@legislature.state.tn.us
Representative Debra MaggartJimmy Matlock, (R - Lenoir, District 21 - Parts of Loudon and Monroe counties.) rep.jimmy.matlock@legislature.state.tn.us
Representative Jimmy MatlockRepresentative John C. Tidwell, (D - New Johnsonville, District 74 - Houston, Humphreys, Perry, and parts of Hickman and Maury counties.) rep.john.tidwell@legislature.state.tn.us
Representative John TidwellRepresentative Nathan Vaughn, (D - Kingsport, District 2 - Part of Sullivan County) rep.nathan.vaughn@legislature.state.tn.us
Representative Nathan VaughnEric Watson, (R - Cleveland, District 22 - Meigs, Polk and part of Bradley counties) eric.watson@legislature.state.tn.us
Representative Eric WatsonBen West, Jr. (D - Hermitage, District 60 - Part of Davidson County - Donelson, Hermitage and Antioch Communities) rep.ben.west@legislature.state.tn.us
Representative Ben West Jr.Les Winningham (D-Huntsville, District 38 - Clay, Jackson, Pickett, Scott and parts of Anderson counties.) rep.leslie.winningham@legislature.state.tn.us
Represenatative Leslie WinninghamYou 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 at www.legislature.state.tn.us/
RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS LINKSSENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE:
RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS LINKSSen. Jim Tracy, Chair - R - Shelbyville
District 16 - Bedford, Moore and part of Rutherford counties
Phone: 615-741-1066
Staff Contact: Judi Butler and Clint Hall
sen.jim.tracy@legislature.state.tn.us
Senator Jim TracySen. Tommy Kilby, Vice Chair - D - Wartburg
District 12 - Campbell, Fentress, Morgan, Rhea, Roane and Scott Counties
Phone (615) 741-1449
Staff Contact: Michelle Stephenson, Brenda Gadd
sen.tommy.kilby@legislature.state.tn.us
Senator Tommy KilbySen. Jack Johnson, Sec. - R - Brentwood
District 23 - Williamson, and part of Davidson Counties
Phone (615) 741-2495
Contact: Catherine Haire
sen.jack.johnson@legislature.state.tn.us
Senator Jack JohnsonSen. Jack Cooper - D -Morrison
District 14 - Franklin, Bledsoe, Coffee, Grundy, Sequatchie, Van Buren, and Warren counties
Phone (615) 741-6694
Staff Contact: Christina Barber
sen.jerry.cooper@legislature.state.tn.us Senator Jerry CooperSen. Doug Jackson - D - Dickson
District 25 - Dickson, Giles, Hickman, Humphreys, Lawrence, and Lewis counties
Phone (615) 741-4499
Fax (615) 741-8745
Staff Contacts: Kim Andrews
sen.doug.jackson@legislature.state.tn.us
Senator Doug JacksonSen. Rosalind Kurita -D - Clarksville
District 22 - Cheatham, Houston and Montgomery counties
Phone (615) 741-2374
Toll Free (800) 449-8366 Ext. 12374
Staff Contacts: Pamela George and Andrea Smith-Hummel
sen.rosalind.kurita@legislature.state.tn.us Senator Rosalind KuritaSen. Steve Southerland R - Morristown
District 1 - Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, and Unicoi counties
Phone (615) 741-3851
Staff Contacts: Carolyn Newman, Loudene Gee
sen.steve.southerland@legislature.state.tn.us
Senator Steve SoutherlandSen. Micheal R. Williams - I - Maynardville
District 4 - Claiborne, Grainger, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, and Union counties
Phone (615) 741-2061
Staff Contact: Rosalyn Martin
sen.micheal.williams@legislature.state.tn.us
Senator Micheal WilliamsSen. Jamie Woodson - R - Knoxville
District 6 - Knox County
Phone:(615) 741-1648
Staff Contact: Pat Farmer, Alexanderia Honeycutt
sen.jamie.woodson@legislature.state.tn.us
Senator Jamie Woodson
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)