Woodbury Planners Pass Subdivision Street Lighting Amendment

The Woodbury Planning Commission passed an amendment to the town's subdivision regulations regarding the installation of street lighting at its regular monthly meeting Tuesday night at its regular monthly meeting.

The amendment makes the developer responsible for installing street lighting in a new subdivision development. Non-decorative street lighting fixture, wattage output and spacing shall be determined by the Town of Woodbury and Middle Tennessee Electric.

Lights are to be provided at all street intersections and shall be placed no closer than 200 feet apart within the development.

If decorative street light poles and fixtures are to be installed, a street lighting plan shall be reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission. Spacing for decorative light poles and fixture shall be no closer than 200 feet. The lighting plan shall include maintenance guidelines that are to be listed in the development's homeowner's association guidelines for light fixtures. The lighting plan along with the maintenance guidelines shall be included with the construction documents or the final plat required for the development.

Light poles shall be located within public right-of-way and be located two feet back from the back of a sidewalk or centered between curb and sidewalk and shall be ten (10) feet from a fire hydrant. Street lights shall be located on the sidewalk side of streets and streets with sidewalks on both sides shall require the lights to be staggered on both sides of the street.

Others matters discussed at Tuesday's meeting included:

• The status of the town's request to Ronald Swim for him to cease living at 219 West Main Street, Woodbury. City Attorney Bill Bryson sent a letter to Swim at the behest of the Woodbury Town Council on Dec. 8 informing him the location was zone commercial and that residences were not permitted.

Mayor Harold Patrick said Tuesday that to his knowledge Swim had not complied with the request and was still living at the location.

"I will make necessary arrangements with the police chief (Tony Burnett) and the city attorney to follow through the eviction efforts," Patrick said.

• Patrick informed commission members that he thought the new restaurant named The Scoreboard would open Tuesday, "but they didn't make it."

• Concerning the Cannon County Courthouse Revitalization Project, of which the city is paying 10 percent of the cost, Patrick said with the paving of Cannon and Tatum streets, and new sidewalks on Main and Tatum streets, the city of coming out approximately $18,000 ahead on the deal.

• Patrick also said he had been approached by some residents of the Auburn Hills subdivision regarding having street lights installed there. Street lights were not installed by the developer. "They went with underground wiring and they (residents) just got left out," Patrick said.

Patrick and Woodbury Public Works Director Alan Paschal said five light fixtures would be required to adequately illuminate the subdivision. Patrick indicated it is his impression the town council would likely require residents of the subdivision to pay for the installation of poles and lights, but that the town may agree to pick up the monthly electric bill, estimated at $100.

• Planning commission member Dottie Duggin brought up the problem of street parking in the Auburn Hills subdivision. "A lot of people are parking on the street and not in their driveways, and I think we need to have no on-street parking," Duggin said.