Oak Ridge Today

Council to consider contract for eighth rowing lane

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Oak Ridge Rowing Lane Announcement

Tennessee Rep. John Ragan, an Oak Ridge Republican, announces a $250,000 state grant for an eighth rowing lane at the Oak Ridge rowing course on Sunday, April 19, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider a $50,000 contract for design and survey work, among other tasks, for an eighth rowing lane at the city’s rowing course.

The eighth lane has been on the city’s wish list for years. It’s been in the Oak Ridge Capital Improvement Plan since 2005.

Officials announced a $250,000 state grant for the extra lane in April. They said it will allow the Oak Ridge Rowing Association to compete for bigger races and international regattas at the Oak Ridge Rowing Course, keep the site a top-tier rowing venue, and provide more on-water capacity, allowing more competitors in events. It’s also expected to significantly increase the economic impact of rowing races, or regattas.

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Council could consider Secret City Festival changes, including move to fall

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Secret City Festival Concert 2015

A concert crowd at the 2015 Secret City Festival in Oak Ridge. Concerts by the Marshall Tucker Band and Three Dog Night attracted the highest number of spectators in festival history. (Photo by Robert Welton)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday could consider changes to the Secret City Festival, including a possible move to the fall. The annual festival could be expanded into a celebration that could start in October and run through Veterans Day (November 11), last at least a week, and include the Secret City Festival.

It’s one of five changes recommended by the Special Events Advisory Task Force set up by City Council in February. Each Council member appointed a member of the task force, which was chaired by Council member Trina Baughn. The task force was expected to meet for six months and provide a recommendation to City Council by this month.

The City Council will need to consider an amendment to the Monday night agenda to formally include the recommended changes.

“The idea is not to limit the celebration to a single event, but to incorporate other activities over an expanded period of time that allow for greater participation by both patrons and various organizations within the community,” Baughn said in an August 5 memo to City Council. [Read more…]

Cedar Barren Cleanup, Prairie Grass Extravaganza on Aug. 15

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Oak Ridge Barrens

There will be a cleanup and Prairie Grass Extravaganza at Oak Ridge Cedar Barren on Saturday, August 15, organizers said.

They said this will be a free opportunity to see prairie goldenrod (Solidago ptarmicoides), naked-stem sunflower (Helianthus occidentalis), and Torrey’s mountain mint (Pycnanthemum torrei) at the Oak Ridge Cedar Barren. It will be combined with a workday to remove invasive plants.

Located next to Jefferson Middle School in Oak Ridge, this barren is a joint project of the City of Oak Ridge, the State Natural Areas Division, and Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning. [Read more…]

Demolition permit applied for at Main Street Oak Ridge, site plan approved

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Main Street Oak Ridge Site Plan Work Session

Barry James, Crosland Southeast senior vice president, standing, explains part of the Main Street Oak Ridge site plan to the Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday, August 6, 2015. Seated from left are planning commissioners Terry Domm, Jane Shelton, Claudia Lever, and Charlie Hensley. At left in the background is Steve Arnsdorff, chief manager of Oak Ridge City Center LLC, the current owner of the property, the former Oak Ridge Mall. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9:10 p.m.

The demolition permit has been applied for and the site plan approved, two crucial steps in the proposal to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall as Main Street Oak Ridge, a 60-acre site that could include retailers, restaurants, residential units, and a hotel.

Developers applied for the demolition permit last week, Oak Ridge Community Development Director Kathryn Baldwin said Thursday. It will now be reviewed by the city staff. The demolition could include the existing space between the two remaining anchors, Belk and JCPenney, although those two stores would remain.

The site plan is for the construction of the first phase “building footprints” and the infrastructure to serve them, Baldwin said. Construction drawings for the buildings themselves will come later.

The site plan for the core retail area was approved unanimously by the 10-member Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission on Thursday evening. It incorporated comments by the city staff. It does not require approval by the Oak Ridge City Council. [Read more…]

After closing day early, city pool tests negative for cryptosporidium

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Oak Ridge Outdoor Swimming Pool

Hundreds of swimmers enjoy the Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool on Providence Road on Memorial Day 2012. (File photo)

 

As a precaution, the Oak Ridge Outdoor Swimming Pool closed for the season a day early this year after a parent reported that their child had been diagnosed with cryptosporidium, a germ that causes intestinal tract problems.

But a test for cryptosporidium in water samples taken from the pool on Monday came back negative on Wednesday, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Director Jon Hetrick said. The results were negative both on the pool itself and on the spring that feeds it.

Hetrick said cryptosporidium occurs naturally in bodies of water, and it is chlorine-resistant. The child who was diagnosed with it had been at the Oak Ridge pool a few days earlier, Hetrick said.

“So, as a precaution, we chose to close the pool on Sunday just to make sure no one else was exposed if that was the source,” he said. [Read more…]

Two designs for Peace Pavilion for Friendship Bell to be presented Aug. 13

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International Friendship Bell

The International Friendship Bell is pictured above at Alvin K. Bissell Park before its housing structure was dismantled after the wood pavilion deteriorated. (Photo courtesy Peace Bell/Facebook)

 

The Oak Ridge International Friendship Bell has become an iconic symbol of Oak Ridge and a source of much pride. The bell is in need of a new home, and the community is invited to participate in planning for a new Peace Pavilion to house the International Friendship Bell from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, August 13, at the Oak Ridge High School Amphitheater.

The Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Advisory Board and the Youth Advisory Board are hosting this community input session, where two proposed designs for a new pavilion will be presented. The board wants to hear opinions from the community, which will be important in determining the pavilion’s design. The International Friendship Bell Advisory Committee supports the designs and will assist with the community input session and fundraising for the pavilion.

A monument to peace and friendship with Japan, the bell was designed and cast to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the City of Oak Ridge. The bell was removed last year from the original wood pavilion, which had deteriorated after housing the bell for nearly 20 years in Alvin K. Bissell Park. The need for a new pavilion allows for a new expression of the bell and its place in Oak Ridge.

The new designs being considered surround the bell with open space and a greatly enlarged plaza. A community gathering place is envisioned, with an open design that invites large groups to gather at the bell. [Read more…]

Sewer rehab work continues in August

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Sewer rehabilitation continues for the month of August 2015 with Morgan Contracting, working under contract for the City of Oak Ridge, rehabilitating the city’s sewer collection pipes within city easements in yards and in roadways. Residents should have already received letters on colored paper (green for Morgan Contracting) and door hangers providing general information and the applicable contractor’s contact information.

Motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists are urged to use extra care and caution when traveling on the streets with sewer work areas, a press release said. Temporary road repairs will be made and loose gravel should be expected until the patches are permanently paved.

All construction work is subject to change based on such unknowns as weather, equipment and access issues. The construction work schedule for the month beginning August 3 is as follows: [Read more…]

Sewer line inspections using sonar machine continue in Oak Ridge

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The Oak Ridge Public Works Department continues to use state-of-the-art technology to perform inspections of the city’s sewer system, a press release said.

This technology employs a sonar machine that emits a repeating series of tones, similar to a musical scale. In open areas, it can be heard over long distances. While harmless, the tones emitted by the machine are low enough in frequency that residents nearby may be able to feel and, in some instances, hear them. [Read more…]

Main Street Oak Ridge site plan to be considered Aug. 6

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Oak Ridge Mall

A site plan for Main Street Oak Ridge, the $80 million redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall, which is pictured above, will be considered by city officials on Thursday, August 6, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A site plan for Main Street Oak Ridge, the $80 million redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall, will be considered by city officials next week.

The site plan was submitted on Monday, June 29. It’s one of several steps that have been recently announced on the eagerly anticipated 60-acre redevelopment. Other steps include pre-demolition activities and bid reviews, and roughly $500,000 worth of pledges from six local employers to help cover public infrastructure costs.

The City of Oak Ridge has also received and is considering a preliminary subdivision plat that details construction plans for East and West Main Street and Wilson Street, which are private roads but could become public streets. [Read more…]

City Council to consider tax rate on second, final reading on Monday

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Oak Ridge City Council on July 27, 2015

The Oak Ridge City Council raised the trash pickup fee by $3.50 during a special budget meeting on Monday, July 27, 2015, and the Council set aside an extra $260,000 for capital projects such as buildings and schools. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council will have a second and final meeting on Monday, August 3, to adopt the new property tax rate of $2.52.

The previous tax rate had been $2.39 per $100 of assessed value, so the new rate is 13 cents higher than the old one.

The new tax-neutral rate provided by Tennessee officials went up because overall property assessments went down in Anderson and Roane counties in the five-year reappraisals completed this year. Since property assessments went down in those two counties, the tax-neutral rate went up in the counties and cities within them, including Clinton, Norris, Oliver Springs, and Rocky Top.

Oak Ridge is the only one of those seven governments that, as of now, does not plan to increase its property tax rate beyond the tax-neutral rate. With the help of some last-minute changes, Oak Ridge officials were able to balance the budget in a way that doesn’t require a local increase in the property tax rate. And the budget still proposes 2 percent pay raises for municipal workers and Oak Ridge Schools teachers and staff. [Read more…]

Civic Center Recreation Building to be temporarily closed for floor maintenance

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Oak Ridge Civic Center Gym

Pictured above is a basketball game in the Oak Ridge Civic Center gym. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge Civic Center Recreation Building will be closed Saturday, August 1, through Tuesday, August 4, for gym floor refinishing. This will include the gymnasium, the game room, all meeting rooms, and the indoor swimming pool.

The indoor swimming pool will reopen on Wednesday, August 5. The offices, meeting rooms, and game room will reopen on Thursday, August 6, at 8 a.m. The gym will remain closed until Monday, August 10.

During this time, visitors to the Civic Center Recreation Building will need to use the main entrance that faces the fountain. Staff will be available at both the Scarboro Community Center at (865) 425-3950 and the Oak Ridge Senior Center at (865) 425-3999.

City budget raises trash fee, provides more for city infrastructure

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Oak Ridge City Council on July 28, 2015

The Oak Ridge City Council raised the trash pickup fee by $3.50 during a special budget meeting on Monday, July 27, 2015, and the Council set aside an extra $260,000 for capital projects such as buildings and schools. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today) 

 

Note: This story was last updated at 10:05 a.m. July 28.

There will be a $3.50 increase in the monthly trash fee, and more money—$260,000—will be reserved for capital projects such as buildings and schools, while city officials are not expected to change the new property tax rate provided by the state after five-year reappraisals completed this year.

The trash fee will increase from $7 to $10.50 per month. That change is expected to provide another $335,000 per year in revenue.

The new tax rate—state officials call it a tax-neutral rate—is $2.52 per $100 of assessed value. It was approved in the first of two readings by the Oak Ridge City Council during a three-hour special meeting on Monday. The second reading hasn’t been scheduled yet, but the meeting is expected soon. [Read more…]