December ’19 Newsletter MJ D4
I would like to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year. My heartfelt condolences go out to Rowan Frensley’s family and friends who continue facing (and always will) his tragic loss at the MJ Christmas Parade on December 14. I and the other Board members were each loaned a brand new truck from Two Rivers Ford to ride in the parade and toss out candy. A special thank you to Raelyn Bassett who accompanied me in the ride and sharing candy with participants and who also did a beautiful job decorating the truck. Thank you Raelyn.
I will plan to have another town hall meeting in the spring, probably around March. As I’m sure you know, my commission seat is up for election in November 2020 and I will be running and launching a campaign very soon. I have enjoyed my time as your commissioner since my appointment in August and would appreciate the opportunity to continue serving you. I have knocked on many doors, but I do need volunteers to help with that. There is a lot of territory yet to cover. I also am/will be asking for donations to help fund expenses associated with my campaign, such as printing materials, toner, mailings, postage, yard signs, advertising, etc. Your financial contributions would be appreciated and my website has been setup to start receiving them.
Items of interest:
1) MJ is being sued in federal court by the ACLU on behalf of FemHealth USA, Inc., d/b/a Carafem, located at 5002 Crossings Cir, Set 260 in MJ. The suit basically alleges that the city of MJ, based on an ordinance passed and approved last spring by the Board of Commissioners (BOC), denies the right for Carafem to expand and provide surgical abortions within the city. I cannot make comments about pending litigation, other than to notify you of the lawsuit, since it has been made public. If you would like to submit your feedback, I am interested, but know I cannot comment further. As of this writing, I am not aware of a court date that has been set.
2) MJ’s Parks Dept. submitted their idea of building a public swimming pool to the city in a public meeting on December 9th. Their idea, as submitted, included a 4-lane swimming pool with showers and locker rooms as well as two racquetball courts to be located in Charlie Daniels Park behind the community center (separate building). It was suggested by the BOC that they have two other land options to look at, one being 5 acres across Golden Bear (opposite Amazon/Project Sam), and the other being 7 acres on Clemmons Rd. where the new Senior Citizens Center will go, that the city owns. They were asked to proceed and consider all options as well as more detailed funding expenses, that are proposed to come primarily from hotel/motel tax, which is currently only allotted for parks and recreation. I received a lot of feedback from citizens, in which I relayed to the Parks Dept., by asking them to include looking at options for; something indoors for small children (referencing Discovery Zone and Gymboree); an indoor tennis court; the pool having 6 lanes instead of 4. Right now this has just been presented as an idea, but will proceed to the next step. I have the suggested rendering as submitted from the Parks Dept. if anyone would like me to forward that to you.
3) 1st reading at BOC, December 9: The (nonprofit) MJ Little League Park (MJLL-baseball and softball park on Lebanon Rd) needs all new lighting that would cost approx. $450,000 (possibly less). Since this is a nonprofit and not city-funded, it was suggested the city do an interest-free grant from the hotel/motel tax (not to exceed $450,000), that MJLL would pay back to the city, forfeiting their $15,000/year community grant they receive from the city each year until it is paid in full. The possibility was also discussed about MJLL raising their annual fees by $5.00 to help pay for the lights. A public work session is scheduled for further discussion on January 9, 2020 at 5 pm at City Hall.
4) The liquor lawsuit between the city of MJ and the Wilson Co Board of Education was deferred at the last BOC meeting on December 9th on advise by council, even though it had previously passed 1st reading. It will be on the BOC agenda for 2nd reading on January 13, 2020.
5) Public work session is scheduled at 5 pm on January 13, 2020 at City Hall to further discuss city email transparency including text and phone calls.
Status Report on the following construction/developments:
Belinda Pkwy Sidewalks – Thank you to Sessions Paving (contractor) for stepping up and taking over the project after the subcontractor did not comply with TDOT’s standards. It looks like they are moving along at a nice pace and making progress in order to meet their early spring deadline. Please be careful, I know many residents are inconvenienced, having to park in the median and cross the street to get to their homes, not to mention the ditches. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
The city’s new Clock Tower – The groundbreaking took place on November 25 and is located on the Northeast corner of N MJ Rd and E. Division Street (RTA – train location) and construction is underway. There has been a lot of controversy about the funding of this project. In 2014 Harry Johnson donated $250,000 for a beautification project, such as a clock tower. The location is owned by RTA and had to be approved for the city to build there. In the meantime, while waiting on approval, acreage was donated to the city, known as Robinson Park that needed work. Mr. Johnson approved a portion of the $250,000 to go toward the park improvements. It’s my understanding that $165,000 was used for the park which left $85,000 for the clock tower, which remained in the general fund. When the RTA finally approved building the clock tower on their corner, the city moved forward and pulled the $165,000 from the hotel/motel tax (which is in the general fund), adding to the remaining $85,000 in order to start and complete the clock tower project. If the entire $250,000 donation had gone directly to the clock tower, then $165,000 would have been pulled from the hotel/motel tax in the general fund for park improvements in Robinson Park. In my opinion, it’s all about perspective.
Bradshaw Farms – This proposed development passed 1st reading by the BOC on November 25, that is located between the back of Jackson Hills (on Golden Bear) and 1360 Beckwith Rd. (county road), where a construction only entrance would be located. Many residents (Woodland Place, Jackson Hills and county residents on Beckwith Rd) were present to express concerns about safety, traffic and construction burdens. This proposed development is on approx. 193 acres which would include 263 units for 55+ and 293 single family homes, reserving 75 acres for open space. The developer and the city are working with the county and TDOT to hopefully move forward on a traffic study and signal warrant on Lebanon Rd (state rd) and Beckwith Rd (county). Part of the development (offsite improvements) would include sidewalks on Woodridge Place from Woodvale Dr to Golden Bear, road improvements in Jackson Hills (who submitted requests by petition), a SB right turn lane on Golden Bear at Curd Rd (south) including a signal warrant, left turn and right turn lanes at 1360 Beckwith Rd, and .50 cents per square foot to be dedicated as an impact fee to go toward a EB right turn lane from Lebanon Rd onto Golden Bear. Second reading will be held at the next BOC meeting in January.
EB right turn lane from Lebanon Rd onto Golden Bear – The city is working on design plans with TDOT and engineers.
I-40 Overpass Widening – The final ROW and easement acquisitions are taking place. TDOT is expected to begin construction in early 2020 and be completed by spring/summer of 2021.
Lebanon Rd. Widening – (from Park Glen to Golden Bear) The transportation report has been completed and environmental work/preliminary design for ROW is underway. Estimated start of construction is within 3-5 years, expected to take 18-24 months to complete.
Right turn lane on S Rutland onto Central Pike – County road tied to the Baird Farms development in the city, which was denied by the County Road Commission. It was addressed in the consent agenda December 19 by the MJ Planning Commission (PC) and approved. I was told it will go to the BOC for approvals and allocations of funds during the January 27 meeting.
Traffic signal at NW Rutland and N MJ Rd – This is not a city project, it is controlled and funded by Southern Bank. The city only oversees the project. It was stated at the December 9 BOC meeting that the polls are on backorder.
S Greenhill at Willoughby – The city has approved plans to put a roundabout here. I do not currently have any estimated dates.
Central Pike Interchange – TDOT recently advertised a request for qualifications to get an engineering firm under contract to begin the environmental and preliminary engineering design phases. TDOT surveys have been completed. A very early timeframe for construction would be in the 4-6 year timeframe.
S MJ Rd widening (south from Providence to Central Pk) – The transportation report is substantially complete and environmental work/preliminary design for ROW is underway with TDOT. Estimated start of construction is within 3-5 years, expected to take 18-24 months to complete.
Train Station Parking Expansion – Bids were scheduled to close Dec. 17. It will go to the RTA Board in January and hopefully start construction by spring, pending contract approval and looking for completion sometime during summer. NOTE: The RTA lot and parking areas are not owned and controlled by the city so MJ has no control over timing or the expansion project. State and Federal agencies are both involved. MJ has been pressing the issue for several years and had even stopped annual contributions until the RTA ultimately decided and agreed that additional parking was desperately needed and to be added asap. The city is currently working with RTA to immediately make a temporary gravel parking area near by.
Traffic signal at Providence Pkwy (between Kroger/Body Shop) – Construction drawings expected to be completed by February. The bids will go out and construction is set to begin next spring. AGAIN, PLEASE NOTE: This was already in the works prior to me ever getting appointed this past August. There is nothing I can do to stop this light because the warrant study showed the need for one. I agree this is going to create many more traffic congestion issues on top of the problems we already have. I am hopeful the city’s transportation and traffic departments will sync this signal and the one at S MJ Rd to help the flow of traffic.
New FireHall on N MJ – (same update) The city recently completed the purchase of 2 acres on Lebanon Rd. next to the new Green Hill High School location. It is my understanding that an architectural firm has been chosen.
Golden Bear Improvements (N to Curd Rd) – (same update) currently in design stage.
Traffic signal at S Greenhill Rd and N MJ Rd – (same update) MJ is working with TDOT.
District 4 Update:
1) Right turn lane and striping on exit #226C (facing Tire Discounters) will be tied in with #2 as one project.
2) The city is working on getting approval from the Providence Marketplace (PM) property owner to allow turn arrows on the pavement at the traffic signal leaving PM onto Providence Way. I have requested matching signal poll signage. This will be tied with #1 as one project. I will update you as soon as I have an estimated timeframe.
3) I am still trying to get the city to consider extending the yellow lane strips (before the two SB left turn lanes onto Providence Way/Belinda Pkwy) further back, prior to the overpass project. Although this would be included at completion of the project, I think it would be beneficial now and help the flow of SB traffic on S MJ Rd. This also would involve TDOT’s approval unfortunately.
4) The 4-way at S Rutland and Beckwith/Posey Hill – I will continue to pursue this as a board member trying to find funding for a traffic signal warrant study. I have the b&w rendering from the traffic study if anyone would like me to email it.
5) I have submitted a request for signage along Belinda Pkwy. to help alleviate traffic from going down the wrong side of the divided lanes specifically at two locations 1) Legacy Park and Belinda Pkwy. and 2) Sunnymeade and Belinda Pkwy.
New business updates:
—CareNow (next to Bonfire, currently next to Pizza Hut) – spring/early summer
—Vanderbilt Medical (next to Jason’s Deli) – spring/early summer
—Exxon (Belinda Pkwy) – 2 months (maybe sooner)
—Dollar Tree (formerly PJ’s Flea Mkt) Lebanon Rd – open
—Vietnamese Restaurant (formerly Bar-B-Cutie) – open
The next BOC meeting is this Monday, January 9, 2020 beginning at 6:15 pm for public hearing and BOC at 6:30 pm. The public is invited to attend and if you have anything you would like to share, opinions, input, etc., each citizen is given 3 minutes during citizens comments.
MJ City District 4 (south of I-40) is in the MJ’s Chipper Service Zone 1. You can sign up for text/email alerts when they will be back in zone 1 at https://www.mtjuliet-tn.gov/list.aspx?listid=236.
I appreciate your support and if you have any suggestions, ideas, comments, complaints, or just something to share, please let me know. I want to hear from you.
Jennifer Milele
MJ City Commissioner
District 4
615-393-4356
website: JenniferMilele.com
email: [email protected]