MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WGNS) - The Murfreesboro City Council approved a mandatory referral request to turn over ownership of an unnamed access road right-of-way and public utility easements to New Vision Church during its meeting on September 17th.
The property involved is the North Thompson Lane and West College Street/Old Nashville Highway connector road near Prentice Alsup Heating and Air.
Engineering firm Griggs & Maloney submitted the initial application to Murfreesboro Planning Department Director Ben Newman on behalf of New Vision Church on Thursday, July 16th. This action releases approximately 76,290 square feet of right-of-way along with 13,666.3 square feet of public utility easements. The total area covers roughly 1.7 acres of right-of-way and two utility easement segments measuring 5,600 and 7,000 square feet.
Ryan Robeson with the city planning department said the West Northfield Boulevard extension to North Thompson Lane, which was completed in November of 2021, created a safer route:
The connector road between North Thompson Lane and West College Street has limited sight lines and has been prone to a number of accidents. Closing the access road allows the church to utilize land it owns between its main parking lot and West College Street.
Mayor Shane McFarland, who joined the rest of the council in a unanimous decision, reminded city leaders the West Northfield extension is not where it was originally planned to intersect North Thompson Lane:
While the Planning Commission originally recommended a fixed closure date of February 15th, 2027, City Council modified the schedule based on recommendations from Senior Engineer Sam Huddleston, PE, of Griggs & Maloney. Officials from the Stones River National Battlefield expressed concern regarding the length of time needed to update federal communication and navigation systems to protect park visitors.
Under the adopted plan, the connector road will not close earlier than December 1st nor later than February 15th, 2027. The window gives New Vision Church, the Stones River National Battlefield, and city staff time to coordinate traffic mitigation steps along West College Street. City Manager Darren Gore will mediate between the groups. The council voted to authorize him to recommend the mayor sign the official deed transfer of the right of way once all reasonable mitigation needs are met. That then releases the church to begin a parking lot expansion.
Multiple utility providers evaluated the site during the application process. The Murfreesboro Water Resources Department (MWRD) stated workers must physically locate and pothole water lines to determine exact location and depth, noting portions of the line may require re-laying or relocation depending on grading, with MWRD review and approval of any grading plan required prior to issuance of a grading permit. Meanwhile, Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE), Consolidated Utility District (CUD), AT&T, Atmos Energy, and Comcast all confirmed they have no facilities or no objections to the right-of-way and public utility easement abandonment.
