On Thursday night (1/15/2015) the Murfreesboro City Council approved an amendment to an existing agreement with Wiser Consultants, LLC of Murfreesboro to provide professional design services for relocation of Lytle Street between NW Broad Street and Barker Street.
"The Lytle Street project is a companion project to the larger Broad and Memorial overpass project," said Transportation Director Dana Richardson. "Relocating and reconstructing a portion of Lytle Street with traffic light signals to serve as a new access point to the Public Square, is a major priority."
Richardson informed the Council in a letter that the original design services contract with Wiser for $183,401 is being revised to $256,746 to include the expanded scope of services. Services include a field survey, preparation of plans to TDOT standards, design development of a roundabout at the intersection of Lytle and College streets, street improvements along College Street, and drainage and signal design.
When completed, Lytle Street will join West Main, Church, and West Vine streets to provide direct access to downtown Murfreesboro from Broad Street.
"Plans call for construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Lytle and College Streets to improve the geometry and traffic flow," added Richardson.
The total estimated $2.8 million project cost must still be approved by the Council as part of a new Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget later this year.
Senior Tax Freeze Extended, City Management Position Upgraded
Among other topics discussed at Thursday's council meeting were rezonings along Indian Park Drive, Thompson Lane, W. Main Street, and Rack Court which were passed upon third and final reading, and five public hearings, including hearings to rezone 2.27 acres along Warrior Drive to Single-Family Residential Fifteen District, rezone 7.12 acres located along Bridge Avenue to Highway Commercial District, annex 5.01 acres along Salem Highway at Armstrong Valley Road, and remove 10.04 acres from the Planned Residential Development District at Baskinwood located along Joe B. Jackson Parkway. The Planning Commission furthermore scheduled additional public hearings; one on March 5th to consider rezoning along Bradyville Pike at S. Rutherford Boulevard, and others on February 12th to consider rezoning along N. Tennessee Boulevard, annexation/zoning along Bradyville Pike, and PUD Amendments along Rucker Lane.
Assistant to the City Manager Jim Crumley discussed the city's desire to find a way to re-purpose and preserve the Bradley Academy Museum, which is approaching it's 100th year on the National Register in 2017, and City Manager Rob Lyons outlined the particulars of the Senior Citizen Property Tax Freeze for Murfreesboro, which is soon to be extended...
Finally, upon recommendation by the City Manager's office, the position of "Assistant to the City Manager" has been upgraded to Assistant City Manager.
