Oak Ridge Today

City Council considers new Kroger stoplight, Alexander Inn tax break

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Kroger Marketplace Site Plan

Kroger Marketplace Site Plan

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider recommending a new stoplight on North Illinois Avenue for a new Kroger shopping center.

Council will also decide whether to give developers a 90 percent, 10-year tax break to convert the historic but rundown Alexander Inn into an assisted living center.

The new stoplight for the $30 million Kroger Marketplace shopping center would be at North Illinois Avenue and Ivanhoe Road. The project will also need new entrances on Oak Ridge Turnpike and North Illinois Avenue.

Those roads are state routes, so the stoplight and entrances will have to be approved by the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

As part of the project, City Council has been asked to give up two neighborhood roads—Iris Circle and Robin Lane—to make way for the 25-acre shopping center. Sewer, water, and electric easements will also have to abandoned. The shopping center will replace a neighborhood of about 55 homes, two hotels, a restaurant, day care center, and church northeast of the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Illinois Avenue.

Council approved rezonings for the project in the first of two readings, or votes, earlier this month, and endorsed what is known as a planned unit development preliminary master plan.

The tax break for the Alexander Inn, officially known as a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement, or PILOT, was endorsed in a 6-0 vote by the Oak Ridge Industrial Development board on Oct. 11. It would be used to help with public improvements that include a new road for cars that now drive through the three-acre site, relocation of a storm sewer under the two-story building, environmental remediation, building stabilization, and code compliance.

Even with the temporary tax break, Oak Ridge and Anderson County will continue to receive at least as much in property taxes as they do now, said Ray Evans, an economic development consultant for the city.

The project has been proposed by Family Pride Corp. of Loudon and InSite Development Corp. of Knoxville. Family Pride has said the project is not economically feasible without the tax break.

Construction of the $4.5 million, 60-unit assisted living center could take roughly a year.

A Kroger representative said home demolition at the shopping center site could begin in February. The Alexander Inn developers have said they are ready to immediately start remediation and rehabilitation work if Council approves the PILOT.

Monday’s meeting is unusual in that it’s the second regular City Council meeting this month. Council added the meeting to consider the Kroger and Alexander Inn project, as well as new city codes.

Council also changed the date of the regular November meeting. It was moved from Nov. 12 to Nov. 5. That means it will be held before the Nov. 6 election, ensuring there are seven Council members available for the meeting.

City officials weren’t sure if the results of the election would be certified by the Nov. 12 meeting, so it was possible that only four of the seven Council members would have been available for that meeting.

The Oct. 22 and Nov. 5 meetings both start at 7 p.m. in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom.

For more information, contact the Oak Ridge City Clerk’s Office at (865) 425-3411.

City Council, School Board candidates at ‘meet and greet’ tonight

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Candidates for Oak Ridge City Council and Board of Education have been invited to a “meet and greet” at the Preserve at Clinch River in west Oak Ridge this evening.

All eight candidates plan to attend, organizers said.

The Preserve at Clinch River is the former Rarity Ridge residential development off Highway 58 across the Clinch River from the Heritage Center, the former K-25 site.

The meet-and-greet is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. and end at 7 p.m. It’s at the Preserve at Clinch River Discovery Center.

The candidates for Oak Ridge City Council include the three incumbents—Charlie Hensley, Chuck Hope, and Ellen Smith—and two challengers, Trina Baughn and Kelly Callison.

The candidates for Oak Ridge Board of Education include the two incumbents, Angi Agle and Keys Filauer, and challenger Leonard Abbatiello.

The election is Nov. 6. Early voting started Wednesday and ends Nov. 1.

For more information on voting in Anderson County, visit www.acelect.com. In Roane County, visit http://new.roaneelections.com/.

Sheriff releases name of deputy involved in fatal shooting

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The officer involved in a fatal shooting in Marlow on Saturday was Deputy Steven Williams, Anderson County Sheriff Paul White said Thursday morning.

Authorities had earlier declined to name the officer.

White said Williams has been a reserve deputy with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department since July 2008 and a senior patrol officer as of June 2012.

“He is one of only six reserve deputies out of 38 that have received advanced training and have the necessary qualifications to be used on patrol,” White said.

On Sunday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation identified the man who died as Randall Kyle Wilcox, 30, of Clinton.

Authorities said Wilcox was shot after he tried to take Williams’ weapon. Williams had chased Wilcox on foot after a traffic stop at about 10:22 a.m. Saturday on Pine Ridge Road in Marlow.

“The driver pulled into a driveway, jumped from the car, and fled on foot,” White said. “Deputy Williams gave chase and a short distance later was confronted by the suspect, where a struggle ensued with the suspect trying to take his duty weapon. The suspect was shot and killed.”

After the shooting, Williams was taken by ambulance to Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge, where he was treated and released, White said, although he didn’t identify the type of injuries.

White said Williams has received his initial “critical incident stress debriefing,” and there will be more debriefings for him and other law enforcement officers.

“Since a shooting is one of the most traumatic events an officer will ever experience, we want to ensure Deputy Williams is ready to return to his duties,” White said.

He said the department’s incident report is not complete. “We will notify when it is available for release,” White said.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has been asked to investigate, which is standard when an officer is involved in a shooting.

Authorities haven’t said why Williams stopped Wilcox, but TBI Public Information Officer Kristin Helm has said it was for a non-moving violation. Wilcox had a lengthy record that includes 20 arrests dating back to 2000, including for carjacking and assault charges, according to county records and the Sheriff’s Department.

Anderson County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said Wilcox was wanted on three outstanding arrest warrants, two for contempt of court and one for failure to appear.

Note: This story was updated at 10:59 a.m. Oct. 18.

Energy-saving ‘cool roofs’ installed at Y-12

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Y-12 Cool Roofs

The Y-12 National Security Complex installed “cool roofs” on buildings, including Building 9204-2E, under a federal program. (Submitted photo)

New roofs that reflect heat are expected to reduce energy costs at the Y-12 National Security Complex, a press release said.

The light-colored “cool” roofs reflect more heat than darker roofs, emitting absorbed solar radiation back into the atmosphere and helping to keep buildings cooler. They can reduce cooling costs by up to 15 percent.

The release said 15 percent of Y-12 roofs are now equipped with the roofs, and they are expected to be used for a majority of the plant’s buildings. Y-12 has already installed almost 100,000 square feet of the roofs, including, most recently, on Buildings 9204-2E and 9103, the release said.

“Replacing older, heat-absorbing roofs with the heat-reflective cool roofs is part of National Nuclear Security Administration’s strategy to achieve energy and cost efficiencies,” said Robert “Dino” Herrera, Facilities and Infrastructure Recapitalization Program manager. “We strive to lead the way as good stewards of the environment.”

The press release said NNSA has installed nearly three million square feet of cool roofs at eight sites across the country and expects to save energy and related costs during the next several years.

Former Council member running for school board

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Former Oak Ridge City Council member Leonard Abbatiello has officially announced his campaign for one of two seats on the Oak Ridge Board of Education.

He’s challenging the two incumbents, BOE Chair Keys Fillauer and Treasurer Angi Agle, in the Nov. 6 election.

The focus of his campaign is to make Oak Ridge Schools better through “city-schools teaming” and better planning, a press release said. It said Abbatiello is also concerned about ensuring that parents and teachers are represented at all BOE deliberations.

An engineer, Abbatiello has served on the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, the 2008 Oak Ridge Charter Commission, and as board chair of the Local Oversight Committee and the Anderson County Economic Development Association, among other things.

“During his public service career, he has made it his hallmark to represent every person effectively while working to correct problems,” a press release said.

Abbatiello retired after a 45-year research career at the U.S. Department of Energy facilities in Oak Ridge. He had previously served as an officer in the U.S. Army.

“Leonard holds 12 patents and understands the impact that a quality education has on innovation, economics, and job building,” the press release said.

Abbatiello said the current five-member school board has defaulted on debt payments on the renovation of the Oak Ridge High School by submitting only a partial payment of the required $758,881 debt service in June.

“Since last year, the Oak Ridge Board of Education has been denying its previous agreements to pay their fraction of high school debt, a debt and revenue stream both generated by the half-cent sales tax increase publicly adopted on Aug. 5, 2004,” the release said. “This BOE has paid only a fraction of half-cent sales tax revenues collected by the State of Tennessee and received by the BOE even though they are obligated to do otherwise.”

He alleged that the school board’s position “is that the vote of August 2004 did not obligate the BOE to pay any of the high school debt.

“The BOE contends that the August 2004 was simply a public revenue generation vote which created and directed all new tax revenue to the schools and that the BOE could utilize these new revenues anyway it pleased, denying their responsibility to pay the high school mortgage,” Abbatiello said. “Most likely, property taxes will have to be increased to pay current and future BOE defaults.”

Abbatiello said an adversarial relationship between the BOE and the city is unacceptable.

“Such a conflict will damage our schools,” he said.

Small business start-up seminar Oct. 25

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The Tennessee Small Business Development Center and Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce will offer a free workshop on Oct. 25 for small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to learn more about starting a new business.

The seminar discussion includes the forms of business organization, tax requirements, business licenses, business planning, and financing, with more discussion about small business loan guarantee programs.

To sign up, call (865) 483-2668 or e-mail Jutta Bangs at jbangs@tsbdc.org.

The Oct. 25 seminar is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The Tennessee Small Business Development Center advises and assists entrepreneurs and small business owners at no cost to them.

Radio astronomer to speak at Roane State’s Oak Ridge campus

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Radio astronomer Stan Kurtz from the National Autonomous University of Mexico will speak at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge.

The lecture will be in the City Room, and it’s free and open to the public.

Kurtz conducts most of his research in New Mexico at the Very Large Array, one of the world’s premier astronomical radio observatories.

For more information about the lecture, contact Roane State’s David Fields at fieldsde@roanestate.edu or (865) 927-5155.

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Jesse Mack Patterson

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Jesse Mack Patterson, age 63, a resident of Harriman, passed away Friday, Oct. 12, at his home.

Mr. Patterson was born March 25, 1949, in Oliver Springs. He grew up in the Stephens Community in Morgan County, and he lived in Coalfield for several years before moving to Harriman.

Jesse was a residential construction and building contractor before his disability. He loved spending time with his family and especially his grandchildren. He also enjoyed digging ginseng and gardening.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Henion Patterson and Marie Lowe Patterson McCrary; by a brother, Glenn Patterson; and by Milton Simmons, whom he considered as his father.

He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Virginia Potter Patterson of Harriman; by a daughter and son-in-law, Cindy and Scott Coker of Oliver Springs; by a son and daughter-in-law, William and Patricia Patterson of Harriman; and by grandchildren, Nathaniel Lewis Coker, Zachary Coker, Rodney Coker, Abbey Patterson, and Angelica Davis.

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Alma Louise Mills Hutcheson

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Alma Louise Mills Hutcheson

Alma Louise Mills Hutcheson

Alma Louise Mills Hutcheson, age 71, of Clinton, went home on Friday, Oct. 12.

She was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. Alma enjoyed working with flowers.

She was a member of Charity Baptist Church.

Alma was preceded in death by her parents, James and Etha Mills.

She is survived by her husband, Lowell Hutcheson of Clinton; daughter, Melissa Hill and husband Josh of Clinton; brothers and sisters-in-law, Alvin and Faye Mills of Maynardville, Sherman and Cinda Mills of Maynardville, Reaford and Ulah Mills of Halls, Tommy and Kathy Mills of Jefferson County, Tenn., and Benny and Janice Mills of Maynardville; and sisters and brothers-in-law, Margaret Bowles of Maynardville, Kathleen and James Dyer of Maynardville, Carolyn and Teddy Jones of Maynardville, and Mary Roark of Maynardville.

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Nancy Jane Cody Bailey

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Nancy Jane Cody Bailey

Nancy Jane Cody Bailey

Nancy Jane Cody Bailey, age 76, of Oak Ridge, passed away peacefully, Friday, Oct. 12, surround by her family.

She was born January 7, 1936, in Raleigh, N.C.

She received a bachelor’s degree at Mt. St. Mary’s College, where she became a Dominican Sister at Newburgh, N.Y. She did graduate study at Columbia University in New York City and taught elementary school for 17 years.

Later, she married Harry R. Bailey in 1973. They resided in Pensacola and Panama City, Fla.; Dothan, Ala.; and Coalfield.

She was a devoted wife, mother, and Nana. Mrs. Bailey was a substitute teacher in Morgan County and worked as a caregiver for many seniors for over 15 years. She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and served as a Eucharist minister and guild member.

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Construction starts on Melton Lake Park pavilion

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Melton Lake Park Waterfront Pavilion

Construction work has started on a new waterfront pavilion at Melton Lake Park in Oak Ridge.

Construction work has started on a long-awaited pavilion at Melton Lake Park.

The $159,000 pavilion could be used for rowing and community events. The Oak Ridge City Council awarded a construction contract for it in May.

It’s the second major step in a waterfront development plan approved by City Council in December 2009. The first was the paving of the parking lot at Elza Gate Park.

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Answer Financial hiring 75 in Oak Ridge

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Answer Financial, a national auto and home insurance agency that has offices in Oak Ridge, plans to hire 75 employees this year, increasing its workforce by 30 percent, a press release said.

“Answer Financial is an established, growing organization with considerable opportunity for both seasoned and aspiring sales professionals,” said Peter Foley, Answer Financial senior vice president for sales and client services.

Answer Financial is headquartered in Encino, Calif., and the company’s sales center in Oak Ridge has been operating since the late 1990s. It employs about 240 people, the press release said.

The company said business growth inspired the local recruitment effort.

In the press release, the company said it provides paid training and state licensing, full benefits with a 401(k), a compensation plan that includes base pay and a performance bonus, and excellent career opportunities.

Sales experience is not required. Answer Financial has an in-house training program, the release said.

Applicants can email their resumes to careers@answerfinancial.com or visit the website at www.answerfinancial.com/careers to learn more about the company and available positions.