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Council rejects revised plan for Main Street Oak Ridge

Posted at 6:40 pm January 16, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Most of Main Street Oak Ridge is pictured above in this proposed plan from Nov. 29, 2018.

Most of Main Street Oak Ridge is pictured above in this proposed revised plan from Nov. 29, 2018.

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1 a.m.

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday narrowly rejected a revised plan that would have allowed four national retailers to build stores at Main Street Oak Ridge.

The Council had unanimously approved a revised plan for Main Street Oak Ridge, subject to certain conditions, in December. That was the first of two readings.

But Council rejected the plan in a 4-3 vote in the second and final reading on Monday.

The rejection hinged on concerns that included the closure of an access road to the 58-acre site, the movement of mixed-use areas to a future phase along Wilson Street, and questions about whether there are other site plan options and whether the development would or should establish a “city center.” People who rejected the revised plan or asked Council to reject it said they support the development and want continued negotiations with RealtyLink, the developer. But it wasn’t immediately clear this week if that will happen.

Those who had supported the revised plan, on the other hand, warned that rejecting it could affect funding for Oak Ridge and Anderson County governments and school systems by diminishing expected sales and property tax revenues, possibly in the range of several hundred thousand dollars. They worried about the impact on the city’s retail community, property tax values, and new housing developments. They called the project a “once in a generation” opportunity and said it could be a few decades before another similar proposal emerges.

It’s not clear what will happen next or if there is any solution that will be acceptable to both RealtyLink and the planning commissioners and City Council members who opposed the revised plan. On Tuesday, three people involved in the project, including RealtyLink, said there is no other design, no “plan B.”

“We’ve worked for six months to get to where we are,” said Neil Wilson, principal of RealtyLink in Greenville, South Carolina. “We didn’t get what we wanted, and they didn’t get what they wanted.”

He said the four national tenants were notified Tuesday that Council rejected the proposed changes to the planned unit development for Main Street Oak Ridge. The potential tenants will be notified if something changes. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Front Page News, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Slider Tagged With: American Museum of Science and Energy, Chuck Hope, City of Oak Ridge, Crosland Southeast, Derrick Hammond, Ellen Smith, Jane Shelton, JCPenney, Jim Dodson, Kelly Callison, Main Street—Oak Ridge, Mark Watson, mixed use, Neil Wilson, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Mall, Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, PetSmart, planned unit development, property tax revenues, Ray Evans, RealtyLink, revised plan, Rick Chinn, roundabout, Rutgers Avenue, sales tax, shopping center, Stephen Whitson, Warren Gooch, Wilson Street, Zabrina Minor Gregg

Main Street developer asks for changes to plan recommendations

Posted at 1:51 pm December 17, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Most of Main Street Oak Ridge is pictured above in this proposed plan from Nov. 29, 2018.

Most of Main Street Oak Ridge is pictured above in this proposed plan from Nov. 29, 2018.

 

The developer of Main Street Oak Ridge has asked for changes or the removal of some conditions recommended by city officials as they consider possible changes to the master plan for the 58-acre project.

The developer, TN Oak Ridge Rutgers LLC, said last week that it will not be able to comply with a request from the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission to include a significant central gathering space as part of Phase III. It has asked to remove language calling for a commitment to create a mixed-use center along Wilson Street. It also wants to remove language calling for significant multi-family residential units as part of the potential mixed-use center along Wilson Street.

TN Oak Ridge Rutgers, which is affiliated with RealtyLink of Greenville, South Carolina, was responding to 10 conditions recommended by the Planning Commission when it approved a revised master plan in a split 5-4 vote during a special meeting on Wednesday, December 5.

What happens next will be up to Oak Ridge City Council, which will consider the proposed revisions during a special meeting Tuesday evening.

One revision that initially caused concern appears to have been accepted, at least so far. That’s the closure of the access road from Rutgers Avenue to the roundabout at Main Street Oak Ridge. That access road would be removed to allow four new stores to be built between PetSmart, a new store, and JCPenney, an anchor store remaining from the former Oak Ridge Mall. The conditions recommended by Planning Commission did not mention the access road. It’s not clear what Council’s position will be. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Business, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Slider Tagged With: Belk, Brett Rogers, Cinemark Tinseltown, Crosland Southeast, JCPenney, Main Street—Oak Ridge, master plan, mixed use, mixed-use area, mixed-use development, multi-family residential, Neil Wilson, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Mall, Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, PetSmart, planned unit development, PUD, RealtyLink, roundabout, Rutgers Avenue, TN Oak Ridge Rutgers LLC, Wilson Street

Reminder: Planning Commission, City Council meet to discuss Main Street, Phase 2

Posted at 12:43 pm November 8, 2018
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The access road from this roundabout to Rutgers Avenue, pictured above on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, could be closed and a retail store built here as part of phase two under a revised master plan for Main Street Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The access road from this roundabout to Rutgers Avenue, pictured above on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, could be closed and a retail store built here as part of phase two under a revised master plan for Main Street Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

A reminder: Oak Ridge officials will meet this evening to discuss proposed revisions to the plan for the second phase of Main Street Oak Ridge, the redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall.

It will be a joint work session between the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission and Oak Ridge City Council. The meeting is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. today (Thursday, November 8) in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom at 200 South Tulane Avenue.

City officials hope to make progress and help produce a good plan, although they don’t expect to vote on anything today.

Oak Ridge officials have had concerns about the proposed revisions to the master plan for Main Street as the developer, RealtyLink, prepares to welcome a second wave of tenants. The Planning Commission postponed a vote on the revised master plan and requested today’s work session during a meeting on Thursday, October 18. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Front Page News, Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Slider Tagged With: Main Street—Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Mall, Oak Ridge Municipal Building, Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, RealtyLink, roundabout, Rutgers Avenue

Revised plan, postponed vote inject uncertainty into second phase of Main Street

Posted at 2:20 pm October 24, 2018
By John Huotari 1 Comment

The access road from this roundabout to Rutgers Avenue, pictured above on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, could be closed and a retail store built here as part of phase two under a revised master plan for Main Street Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The access road from this roundabout to Rutgers Avenue, pictured above on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, could be closed and a retail store built in its place as part of phase two under a revised master plan for Main Street Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The access road from this roundabout to Rutgers Avenue, pictured above on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, could be closed and a retail store built here as part of phase two under a revised master plan for Main Street Oak Ridge. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

A revised master plan and postponed vote have injected uncertainty into the second phase of Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall.

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Note: Most news stories on Oak Ridge Today are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our advertisers, sponsors, and subscribers. Some are considered premium content. This story is premium content. Premium content can include in-depth, investigative, and exclusive stories.

Filed Under: Business, Business, Front Page News, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Premium Content, Slider Tagged With: American Museum of Science and Energy, AMSE, Ben Stephens, Burke's, Charlie Hensley, Chuck Hope, Claudia Lever, Crosland Southeast, Jane Shelton, JCPenney, Jim Dodson, Main Street—Oak Ridge, Mark Watson, master plan, Nathalie Schmidt, Neil Wilson, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Mall, Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commision, Patrick McMillan, PetSmart, planned unit development, RealtyLink, roundabout, Rutgers Avenue, Sharon Kohler, Todd Wilson, Wilson Street, Zabrina Gregg

Public meeting Tuesday on proposed roundabout near ORHS

Posted at 11:51 am October 17, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Oak Ridge Proposed Roundabout

 

The City of Oak Ridge has released a potential design of the proposed roundabout near Oak Ridge High School, and a city board will accept public comments on the possible intersection change during a Tuesday evening meeting.

The roundabout could be built at the five-way intersection of Providence Road, Pennsylvania Avenue, East Pasadena Lane, and North Tulane Avenue. City officials aren’t fond of the term, but many residents refer to the intersection as “Malfunction Junction.”

During the Tuesday evening meeting, the Oak Ridge Traffic Safety Advisory Board will discuss the city’s grant application for the roundabout under the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Transportation Alternatives program. The discussion will include an overview of the project, and the public will be allowed to comment. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Government, Oak Ridge, State, Top Stories Tagged With: City of Oak Ridge, East Pasadena Lane, grant application, grant funding, intersection, Malfunction Junction, North Tulane Avenue, Oak Ridge High School, Pennsylvania Avenue, Providence Road, roundabout, state grant, TDOT, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Traffic Safety Advisory Board, Transportation Alternatives

City to apply for state grant to build roundabout at ‘Malfunction Junction’

Posted at 4:32 am October 15, 2014
By John Huotari 10 Comments

Malfunction Junction at North Tulane Avenue in Oak Ridge

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday agreed to apply for a state grant that could be used to help build a roundabout at the five-way intersection of North Tulane and Pennsylvania avenues, Providence Road, and East Pasadena Lane. Though city officials don’t like the name, the five-way intersection is sometimes referred to as “Malfunction Junction.”

 

The city of Oak Ridge plans to apply for a state grant to design and build a roundabout near Oak Ridge High School at a five-way intersection sometimes referred to as “Malfunction Junction.”

The Oak Ridge City Council unanimously approved the grant application on Monday. If approved, the Tennessee Department of Transportation grant would be used to build a roundabout at the intersection of Providence Road, Pennsylvania Avenue, East Pasadena Lane, and North Tulane Avenue.

The total cost of the project is estimated at $748,113. Tthe grant funding would come from the Transportation Alternative Program. TDOT funds 80 percent of those projects, excluding design, and a 20 percent local match is required.

The city’s cost would be about $150,000, and the city would pay for the design, officials said Monday. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Government, Government, Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge, Roads, Slider, Top Stories Tagged With: East Pasadena Road, grant, Malfunction Junction, North Tulane Avenue, Oak Ridge City Council, Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau, Oak Ridge High School, Pennsylvania Avenue, Providence Road, roundabout, TDOT, Tennessee Department of Transportation, tourism, Transportation Alternative Program

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Availability of the draft environmental assessment for off-site depleted uranium manufacturing (DOE/EA-2252)

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AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

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