I expect to get to the forum for a little while, but I’ll need to bug out early for the City Council work session at 7 pm, back in Oak Ridge. I hope to see a lot of folks at Anderson County High School.

The date of the street closure is tentative, subject to inclement weather that could cause a delay. The street will be closed for approximately 4-5 months until a new street is constructed as part of the Woodland Town Center development.

The press release says “Motorists are requested to avoid the area. Motorists that use Quincy Avenue to access the Woodland neighborhood are requested to use alternate routes of travel.” I expect that most people who have used Quincy to get into the neighborhood will instead take either Rutgers Avenue to Manhattan Avenue or Lafayette Drive to Manchester Road.

Saturday, April 14, 2012, from 9 AM to 2 PM at the Oak Ridge Public Works Building (behind K-Mart in Oak Ridge).

Household Hazardous Waste is anything generated in the household that has a hazardous property such as being flammable, corrosive, toxic or reactive with heat or contact with metals.

Hazardous materials that are accepted include: Household cleaners, drain openers, polishers, disinfectants, adhesives, strippers, thinners, paint removers, pesticides, herbicides, poison, fungicides, wood preservatives, automobile fluids, cleaners, and solvents, old fuel, and anti-freeze. Other household materials you can bring include: rechargeable batteries, Lithium and button batteries, pool chemical, old medicine/drugs, Aerosols, Compressed gas, and chemicals from chemistry sets or photo processing.

Items that they will not accept include: Paint, electronic, alkaline batteries, medical & Infectious Waste, explosives/ammunition, radioactive materials (including smoke detectors), automotive oil, lead acid batteries.

This event is sponsored by Anderson County Solid Waste Management and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. If you have questions contact the Anderson County Solid Waste Office, 463-6845

International Women’s Day Forum
Prepared Girls – Powerful Women
Friday, March 9, 2012
12:00 PM (Registration) to 4:30 PM
at the
Oak Ridge Campus
Roane State Community College

The forum is FREE.
Refreshments will be provided.
FREE parking is available in front of the facility.

Speakers:

• Power and Priorities, Lori Tucker, News Anchor, WATE-TV
• Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking: The Unimaginable Physical and Emotional Toll on Women and Girls, Silvia Calzadilla, Community Coalition against Human Trafficking
• How Have We Gotten Here?!? The History and Politics of Women’s Reproductive Health Care, Corinne Rovetti, Family Nurse Practitioner, Co-Director Knoxville Center for Reproductive Health
• Immigration: A Women’s Rights Issue, Meghan Conley, PhD candidate, UT Department of Sociology
• Healthy Women, Healthy Children: Mental Illness and Substance Abuse, Freddie Nechtow, MS, Licensed Professional Counselor and Mental Health Provider and Rachel Cooper-Ross, MS, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Ridgeview
• International Women’s Day 2012: The View from East Tennessee, Fran Ansley, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, UT College of Law

Sponsors are Women’s Interfaith Dialogue Group, AAUW Oak Ridge Branch, League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge, and Altrusa International of Oak Ridge.

Wednesday, January 11
4:00 to 6:00 P.M. “The Labyrinth: A Spiritual Journey Workshop”
Hear the similarities between the principles and teachings of Dr. King and the spiritual journey experienced through the walking of the labyrinth.
St. Stephens Presbyterian Episcopal Church, 212 N. Tulane Ave.

6:00 to 7:00 P.M. Community Soul Food Dinner and Drama Presentation: “Martin and Malcolm”
Oak Valley Baptist Church, 194 Hampton Road

Friday, January 13, 6:30 P.M.
“An Evening with the Clinton 12”
Conversations with our own historic Civil Rights Trailblazers.
Organized by: Children’s Defense Fund ~ Haley Farm (Contact: Theresa Venable 865-457-6466) & Green McAdoo Cultural Center
Haley Lodge, 1000 Alex Haley Lane, Clinton

Sunday, January 15 (Snow date Jan. 22), 2:00 to 4:00 P.M.
Opening Reception, Ebony Imagery XIV: Black Artist of Tennessee
(Exhibition dates: January 15 ~ March 10, 2012)
Music by: AJ Toth, Pianist, Junior ORHS
Oak Ridge Art Center, 201 Badger Avenue

Monday, January 16
8:00 A.M. Annual Fellowship Breakfast
Speaker: Dr. Jody Goins, Principal, Oak Ridge High School
($5 charge for breakfast)
East Tennessee Family Services (Formerly YWCA of Oak Ridge), 1660 Oak Ridge Turnpike

9:45 A.M. The Community Speaks Program
Speaker: Benjamin J. Stephens II, B&W Y12 Plant American Museum of Science & Energy, 300 South Tulane Avenue

12:00 P.M., MLK Luncheon Program “Continue the Dream”
Speaker: Dr. Jody Goins, Principal, Oak Ridge High School
Midtown Community Center (formerly Wildcat Den), Oak Ridge Tpke at Robertsville Rd, Traffic Light #11

2:00 P.M. Personal Testimonies: “What Dr. Martin Luther King Means to Me” & Roundtable Dialogue, Jinx Watson, Moderator
United Church Chapel on the Hill, 85 Kentucky Avenue

3:30 P.M. MLK Reception & Fellowship
Theme: “Seeking Shalom”
Presentation of Humanitarian Award
United Church Chapel on the Hill

4:00 P.M. MLK Interfaith Closing Candlelight Ceremony ~ “A Call to Action”
Speaker: Rev. Leah Burns, Pastor, Haven Chapel United Methodist Church, Powell, Tennessee
An offering will be taken up for the Sallie McCaskill Scholarship Fund
United Church Chapel on the Hill

Saturday, January 21, 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.
Panel Discussion ~ Conversations on Race
“Education,” John Smith, Former Oak Ridge School Board Chair, Moderator and “Housing and Employment,” Ruby Miller, Local Businesswoman, Moderator
Oak Ridge Public Library Auditorium, Oak Ridge Turnpike

Decisions are coming up fast: The Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board holds a public hearing Monday (12/5) at 4 pm (not my notion of an ideal time for a public hearing) at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. Approval also is needed from both Oak Ridge City Council and Anderson County Commission. City Council addresses it on Monday, December 12 (7 pm at city hall) and County Commission expects to vote on Monday the 19th.

If approved, this will be Oak Ridge’s first TIF. A TIF is a development incentive, similar to a property tax abatement, but with features and restriction that (in my opinion) make it a better deal for the public than the tax abatements that Oak Ridge has used in the past. The idea is that the increased property tax collections resulting from a new development are designated to pay for public improvements to be built in the development area. The city (through the Industrial Development Board) would borrow money to construct improvements in the development area, and any increased property tax revenue from a defined TIF district would be dedicated to paying off that loan. When the public improvements are fully paid for, the property taxes go into the public coffers. As with a tax abatement, there are clear benefits to the developer.  Unlike a tax abatement, there is an explicit contract-type arrangement that sets out both the costs of the TIF and the benefits the community is supposed to derive from it. Also, Tennessee law requires that any TIF  be specifically approved by the governing bodies of the affected local governments (in this case, both city and county) whose property taxes would be dedicated to the TIF. (In contrast a city could establish a tax abatement that affects both city and county property tax without any county say-so — or a county could do that to a city.) I see TIFs as preferable to tax abatements because of greater transparency, the requirement for a public purpose, the clear definition of public costs and public benefits, and the requirement for approval by the elected officials of the affected local governments. Also, they don’t put property owners in the ticklish position of having to deed their property to an IDB (notably, the developers of the Holiday Inn Express that’s now under construction had to relinquish the abatement it had negotiated because it was preventing them from getting a needed loan).

This proposed Woodland Town Center development, between South Illinois Avenue and South Purdue Avenue, across from the former Dean Stallings car dealership, was approved and rezoned as a planned unit development a couple of years ago. Although it’s on the edge of the Woodland residential neighborhood, residents seemed pretty comfortable with the proposal because the developers have been sensitive to their concerns. The developers acquired several properties and took down the houses on them, but the development stalled with the bad economy. Now Panera Bread wants to move there in order to have a bigger location and more parking (Panera is very popular in Oak Ridge) and Aubrey’s Restaurant wants to establish an Oak Ridge location. Those two restaurants would occupy about half of the buildable land in the planned Woodland Town Center area. The TIF district would include the entire Woodland Town Center area plus some nearby properties along South Purdue and the former Dean Stallings dealership.

As people  have read in the newspapers, the public improvements to be funded by the TIF are removing the part of Quincy Avenue between S. Illinois and S. Purdue, building a new road between Illinois and Purdue that would connect up with Phillips Lane (a short cul-de-sac) on the north side of Purdue, installing a new stoplight on Illinois at the intersection with the new road (which would serve as the entrance to Woodland Town Center), storm drainage improvements, and some electric infrastructure. These clearly benefit the development, but I also see some direct benefits for the public at large. The road relocation should mostly eliminate the use of Quincy Avenue as a fast cut-through across the Woodland neighborhood — a benefit to that neighborhood. The storm drainage improvements are needed to correct chronic flooding that affects residents on South Purdue near Quincy. Additionally, the whole package benefits all of us by helping to ensure a higher-quality development than we might see if the developer and the restaurants had to foot the whole bill for the infrastructure supporting their project. I’ve heard from residents who are dismayed by the idea of another stoplight; it bothers me, too, but I’m afraid that it’s inevitable.  I keep hoping for an “intelligent system” to control the series of stoplights on South Illinois to help traffic flow more smoothly — not only to reduce drive aggravation, but also to make it easier for people to get to these businesses.

City staff has estimated the overall TIF cost at $605,000, and they estimate that combined city and county property tax collections would increase by $46,000 per year (split 50-50 between city and county, including $6,000 in tax on “personal property” of the businesses) as a result of the two restaurants, which means it could take 20 years to pay off the TIF.

People ask me if a 20-year payoff is a good deal for the city and county. I can’t say for sure because I can’t predict the future, but I’d be surprised if it took nearly the full 20 years to pay this off. Staff estimates $4 million private investment in the project. If that full investment got reflected in the tax assessor’s appraisal (it probably won’t), I guesstimate that it would yield twice as much property tax as they are projecting, so I am pretty sure that staff is lowballing their estimate of taxes in order to be on the safe side. Furthermore, if the rest of Woodland Town Center gets built or there’s new development on the Dean Stallings site, property tax from those projects would help pay off the TIF faster.

Staff also estimates an additional $165,000 in “direct and indirect” local sales taxes to city and county each year, over and above what Panera collects  now, which sounds like a valuable thing for the city ’s coffers. I’m not entirely clear, owever, on how much of that sales tax goes to city vs. county vs. schools, and I don’t know what staff assumed to come up with that number. I want to know more about what they are assuming, because I want to make sure it makes sense.

Other questions I’m hearing:

* Why involve the IDB? It’s my understanding that state law authorizes IDBs to “do” TIFs, but they aren’t allowed for city governments, but I want to verify this.

* What risk do the IDB and city face if tax collections aren’t high enough to pay the TIF bills? I’m not sure — this depends on the form of the security that must be pledged to obtain the loan. Attorney Mark Mamantov explained TIFs to City Council a few months back; if I remember correctly, he indicated that the lender assumes most of the business risk on these deals.

* Why can’t the city insist that these restaurants locate in some of the vacant buildings we have here in town? In general, a government can’t tell businesses where to locate (at least not in the United States) — and it does seem that the two restaurants were attracted to this particular site by the developers’ conceptual plans for the project.

* What will happen to the building where Panera is now? I hope it will be reoccupied quickly. Panera has done very well there, so the location should be attractive to another eatery.

* How will this affect the value of other property nearby? The conventional wisdom is that this project should boost the value of unoccupied commercial property close by. Interestingly, I’m told that it’s also likely to increase the property-tax assessments of other commercial property. I hope it doesn’t inflate the already-too-high asking prices of some of the properties that are currently being offered for sale or lease — excessive prices seem to be one reason why some sites in town are chronically empty. I’m told that it should not affect the tax assessments for residentially zoned property in Woodland. However, there may be some adverse effect on value of the houses closest to the development. That adverse effect can be minimized if the developer does a good job of screening the property to reduce its effect on the neighbors — and for some residents, being close to attractive commercial businesses is a plus.

* Why is the Dean Stallings property part of the TIF district? The new stoplight would improve access to the Dean Stallings property, and could even allow development of a road to connect to undeveloped land behind it.  Because the Dean Stallings property could directly benefit from the TIF improvements, any increased tax revenue from its future use is legally eligible for use in paying for those improvements.

* If the project pays off early, can the tax revenue from the TIF district be used on another project in the district instead of being added to city and county funds? I don’t believe revenues could be diverted to new uses without approval of a new TIF, but this is something I need to know more about.

*Doesn’t subsidizing these two restaurants give them an unfair  advantage over existing local competitors? Maybe… The restaurants will not directly benefit from the TIF improvements, as those improvements will only build the kind of infrastructure every business needs. In general, however, locally owned restaurants (which I generally prefer over chains) are at a disadvantage compared with chains, as the chains (even a fairly local chain like Aubrey’s) have access to more management know-how, as well as high-visibility advertising that builds brand awareness. However, the conventional wisdom says that when there are several restaurants located in the same area, they all benefit. I believe that — if the restaurant where I wanted to eat has a long line or is unexpectedly closed, I like knowing that there are other good options nearby. More restaurants in Oak Ridge increases the chance that people will choose to dine here, particularly in the evening.

* Aren’t TIFs supposed to be used to help with development of brownfields, low-income areas, and urban redevelopment areas? It is true that TIFs were originally conceived (this was decades ago) as a way to help facilitate development or redevelopment of areas that could be described as “social challenges”. The concept has been adapted for other situations over the years, so that’s no longer true. Also, the TIF rules vary a lot from state to state.  In the future, I think that Oak Ridge could use TIF arrangements to help make good things happen in older commercial neighborhoods like Grove Center and Jackson Square.

* How will this affect the “City Center” (former mall) property? I can’t say, but I think this development is close enough to that property that the City Center would share in the general benefits to local business that are expected to result from this new development.

* Why would the City subsidize restaurants, since this kind of business that doesn’t generate high-paying jobs? It is true that the 100-plus jobs expected to be generated by this development are mostly fairly low on the pay scale, but job-generation is not the only purpose of economic development. Retail centers are important to residents and visitors,  the sales taxes they generate are an important source of local revenues, and there are plenty of people who would be happy to get those jobs.  Also, comparative statistics indicate that Oak Ridge is unusually well supplied with good-paying “primary jobs”, but it lags in offering the kinds of retail opportunities and eating-and-drinking opportunities that help convince well-paid workers and their families to live in a community. Most of the people I talk with would like the city to have more of these kinds of businesses.

What questions have a missed? What else should I be thinking about? (Please comment below!)

The show begins at 10:00 p.m. on July 4th, 2011.

The city press release quotes City Manager Mark Watson on reasons for changing the location: “From a logistical standpoint, shooting fireworks at Melton Lake is a strain on our limited resources. Trying to keep a normal flow of traffic on Melton Lake Drive with spectators parked on the shoulders of the road is not only a physical challenge, but also a real safety concern.”

Also, he says: “The Oak Ridge Community Band will perform its annual 4th of July concert at
the Pavilion in Bissell Park beginning at 7:30 p.m. Families can come to the park, listen to a terrific concert, and not have to drive several miles in order to view the fireworks. It will be a great evening of family entertainment to celebrate Independence Day, and an opportunity for the community to share its patriotic pride.”

Parking will not be allowed on the shoulders of S. Illinois Avenue or Oak Ridge Turnpike. Both roads will remain open throughout the event. Badger Avenue (the road past the Oak Ridge Art Center, RFB&D, and the “peace bell”) will be closed from 9:30 pm until the show is over.

Staff says the best view of the show will be from the east end of Bissell Park. (I understand the show will be at the west end of the park, near ORAU Way — the road formerly known as Raccoon Road.)

Last day at Cedar Hill playground (1988-2011)

It wasn’t exactly crowded, but on Sunday afternoon Cedar Hill Park playground entertained several families visiting for the last time before it closed on Monday to be torn down and replaced.

It’s been a wonderful play space since 1988. My family is one of many that have fond memories of good times there.

However,  it’s showing its age — much like the kids who helped design it and build it in the 1980s. The wood is getting splintery and some of the play areas no longer meet current safety rules. That’s why it’s being replaced with a new similar “kid-designed” playground, once again to be built by community volunteers under the direction of Leathers & Associates. The new playground will be similar in design, but it will be built with recycled plastic lumber that should last about 50 years — and can be painted much more extensively than the pressure-treated wood used in the 1988 playground.

The community build will happen Wednesday, May 18 through Sunday, May 22. Hundreds of volunteers are needed each day. There are volunteer jobs for just about everybody — from actual building to child care (so parents can help build) to serving food to the volunteers. I hear that the Leathers folks know how to find useful tasks that even young children in the child care area can feel they are part of the construction process. Sign-up is on this webpage. The 12-hour work day is divided into three shifts: 8 am to noon, noon to 5, and 5 to 8 pm, and volunteers can choose a job that suits their abilities and interest.

I haven’t picked my jobs and times yet, but I know I will be there to help make a new playground that will be as great for tomorrow’s kids as this one was for my son and his friends.

Farmer Jason, singer-songwriter and Emmy award winner whose children’s music focuses on the animals around us, ecology and nature, is the featured performer at 10 a.m. There’s also a puppet show on safety, make-and-take crafts, kids’ movement class, health and nutrition activities, and storytelling with a surprise guest character. All the permanent exhibits at the museum will also be open during the celebration and model trains will be running. Admission is $5 per person.

Farmer Jason is Jason Ringenberg. The press release says he pioneered the fusion of punk rock and country in the mid-1980s with the band Jason and the Scorchers, created his Farmer Jason character in 2003, releasing his first CD, “A Day at the Farm with Farmer Jason.” Disney magazine Family Fun called it one of the top five family CDs of 2003, and his 2006 CD, “Rockin’ in the Forest with Farmer Jason,” received a Parents Choice Gold Award. An educational video series featuring Farmer Jason produced by Nashville Public Television won the 2009 Emmy for best children’s program in the mid-south region.

For more information call Carroll Welch at the Children’s Museum, (865) 482-1074, extension 105.

Council members have already heard from citizens with opinions on the use of this money. Many support the idea of traffic safety improvements, but I have also heard from people who want the City to use this money to pay down the city’s debt, as well as folks who support other specific expenditures.

Regarding the idea of paying down the debt, the idea is appealing. In effect, we’ve already done some of that. The first year’s revenues from the traffic cameras (that is, revenues for fiscal 2010) totaled about $950,000 and were applied to improving the city’s financial position by increasing cash reserves. This did not directly reduce the existing city debt, but it avoids some additional borrowing, provides a cushion against future emergencies, and helps the city maintain a good credit rating that reduces the cost of borrowing. There are good reasons not to use additional camera revenue to pay down city debt. First, I have learned that on most municipal debt obligations, it is not possible to prepay principal. (This has to do with the way the borrowing is structured.) Also, the amount of money generated by the traffic cameras (I expect that it will be about $600,000 this year) is unfortunately very small in comparison to the total city debt (at the end of fiscal 2010, this was about $107 million for schools and city government, plus about $61 million for electric/water/wastewater facilities) and even the city’s annual expenditure (over $7 million) for debt service. Finally,  interest rates on the debt are very low right now, so prepaying debt wouldn’t save us much in the way of future interest.

I think it is best to use this money to addresscity needs that might not otherwise be addressed — through projects that will have a noticeable positive impact on people’s lives and well-being. Furthermore, since Oak Ridge should not depend on the camera revenue being available forever (because it is possible that the cameras will be eliminated, and even if they are retained, it is expected that the level of violations will decrease), the money should be used for one-time purposes instead of continuing programs. And, as I discussed in my earlier blog comments, because the stated purpose of the cameras is safety, the first priority for use of this money should be safety improvements. (Some of my fellow Council members pledged to do this back when the camera contract was approved.)

Some residents have suggested building an overhead walkway to connect the high school and civic center. This would be a safety improvement that would address a long-time city need. City staff did recommend an overhead walkway due to several factors. Not only would it be extremely expensive (due in part to the requirement to provide either elevators or long wheelchair ramps on both ends), but experience elsewhere indicates that when there is a long stairway or ramp to get to a pedestrian overpass, people often decide to take their chances by jaywalking instead of using the overpass. Instead, staff has recommended installing a “pedestrian signal” (i.e., stoplight with walk light) at the crosswalk between Oak Ridge High School and the Oak Ridge Civic Center. This should be an effective (and cost-effective) way of achieving the desired results from the overhead walkway  — and I have a hunch that this stoplight could eliminate the need for the speed camera and crossing guards currently deployed at this location. As stated earlier, it’s my top priority for spending traffic camera money — and I think it would have a big positive impact on both our quality of life and newcomers’ perceptions of the city.

Other safety-related proposals I’ve heard from residents include adding more  school resource officers  and funding driver’s education at the high school. Neither of these ideas fits the test of being a one-time expenditure — once started, people would expect the funding to continue in the future (even if the camera money went away).

Besides the crossing at the high school, there are other traffic/pedestrian safety-related projects on the staff’s list that I believe address important city needs — and possibly could help ameliorate some of the situations that led to installation of the cameras:

• Pedestrian safety improvements at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike (SR 95) and Illinois Avenue (SR 62).
• A northbound left-turn signal (traffic-activated) on Illinois Avenue at the intersection of Robertsville Road
• A walk light and pedestrian crosswalk at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike with Tyler and Administration Roads.

These projects likely would absorb this year’s camera money, which is the focus of the resolution that is currently up for Council consideration. Other initiatives a little bit farther down the staff priority list are also worthwhile, but I don’t necessarily agree with all of their priorities. Some additional initiatives that I think are particularly worth pursuing (or at least considering) are:

• Create a physical barrier between traffic and the bike-ped trail where the Emory Valley Greenway is on the shoulder of Emory Valley Road. It’s not clear what arrangement will work best there, but something needs to be done to protect bicyclists from traffic — and to ensure that drivers don’t have to swerve to avoid young bicyclists who veer into the traffic lane.
• Add a walk light and pedestrian signal at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike with New York Avenue and Lafayette Drive. There are plenty of good reasons for people to try to walk across the Turnpike there (walking to work or walking from a workplace to a lunch spot, for example), but there is no way for pedestrians to request that the light change to red on the Turnpike to allow crossing (not a problem when traffic is heavy, but a real issue at some hours), and it’s not clear that the red light duration is adequate for pedestrians to cross.
• Create a protected pedestrian crossing of Melton Lake Drive near Emory Valley Road, where the Emory Valley Greenway crosses. This is a high-volume crossing point where a safer crossing would have a positive impact on residents and visitors. However, there is a vision for a roundabout there, and I would want to know that a new pedestrian crossing should be able to remain after the roundabout is installed.
• Install “humped” crosswalks at locations on local streets, particularly in residential neighborhoods and near schools, where there is an identified need to get traffic to slow down. I can think of a few candidate spots in Woodland and and on Outer and West Outer Drives.
• Acquire new reflective street signage that federal regulations will require cities to install over the next few years. The increased reflectivity of the new signs will enhance safety, and using traffic camera money for the signs would save money that otherwise would  come from property taxes — or additional city debt.

Those are relatively small projects. Some big-ticket items that I think we should consider in the future are:

• Two roundabouts: One at the Melton Lake Drive and Emory Valley Road intersection and another at “Malfunction Junction” where Pennsylvania, Providence, North Tulane, and East Pasadena come together.
• “Intelligent transportation systems” controls for stoplights on Illinois Avenue (and possibly later on Oak Ridge Turnpike) to ensure smoother traffic  flow. This would have several types of benefits. It’s easy to see how residents and visitors would appreciate improved traffic flow through town  — as would local businesses that may lose prospective customers who stay away to avoid being delayed by frequent stoplights.  I also see it as a safety measure — because a smoother passage through the stoplights would reduce the driver frustration that can tempt drivers to speed or run red lights. Finally, reducing stop-and-go driving would have environmental benefits by reducing emissions of tailpipe pollutants and greenhouse gases.

It will be helpful for staff and City Council to hear from residents and business owners (Monday night and at other times) about these and other possible priorities — plus other ideas that people might have.

If the cameras are around for more than a couple of years, and if people continue to get ticketed for speeding and  running red lights, there likely will be an opportunity to consider other uses for the revenue (and the suggestions I’ve heard range from preschool to senior center, plus all life stages in between), but for now I see opportunities for traffic-safety enhancements that I think will noticeably improve the quality of life in Oak Ridge for many years to come.