Jun. 24—Updates were given about several infrastructure projects during the Lebanon City Council meeting on Tuesday night.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation began milling on the West Baddour Parkway Monday for a paving project.
“That’s going to go from the area behind Wilson Bank & Trust over the west side of the bypass all the way to the area around Sellars Funeral Home,” Lebanon Mayor Rick Bell said. “That process has begun. It’ll be great once it’s finished, but we do know that’s a process.”
Another paving project on North Castle Heights avenue also began Monday. Both projects could help with railroad crossing improvements.
“On the TDOT project over by Wilson Bank & Trust, that (railroad crossing) is included in that project,” Kristen Rice said. “The one on Castle Heights is also a TDOT project that is city managed.”
Other railroad crossing improvements will be included in upcoming TDOT projects.
“There’s a different TDOT project that’s a railroad safety project that’s going to address (those two railroad crossings),” Rice said. “Hopefully, later this year, those will go to construction. These paving projects will hopefully make those (crossings) smoother, but there’s other, bigger railroad-specific projects coming that should completely replace the tracks.”
Storage facility project
The city council also approved the special plan of a storage facility on 1141 Murfreesboro Road in Lebanon upon the first reading.
Charley Dean with Dean Design Group addressed the city council to request its support of the project.
“We’re proposing the rezoning of this property to SP (special plan) to support the development of a storage facility,” Dean said. “The design proposes a three-story climb-up facility on the road and has elevated architecture meeting or exceeding the commercial standards. We’re also proposing a screen wall south of the building to block visibility of the back buildings. We feel this project will serve the current and future residents of the city and elevates the architectural and aesthetic standards of businesses in the city.”
Ward 3 City Councilor Camille Burdine said that the project has been in the works since the start of the year.
“It is a special plan (SP) because we want to provide specific things that we want to see there,” Burdine said. “We wanted a higher standard, so instead of just zoning it in a blanket way, we want to make sure there’s standards involved.”
The developers and the city of Lebanon have worked together regarding what will be on the property.
“I think it’s going to meet a need for that area since we have so many houses and housing (developments) coming there,” Burdine said. “We hope that that will elevate the area.”
Nonprofit funding
There was funding set aside in the Lebanon’s annual budget that 501c3 nonprofits can apply for. The application deadline is Sept. 1.
“There is funding available for 501c3 organizations to request funds from the city of Lebanon,” Bell said. “We do this every year. If there’s someone out there interested in applying, you can go to the city of Lebanon website. Right there on the front page, there’s a link that states the three things that are required from your organization to be considered.”
The items required from each organization are the non-profit’s status as a 501c3 and its federal identification number, the organization’s current audit reports and budget, and the amount of funds requested, along with the intended use of those funds.
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