Public meeting dates have been set for next Tuesday and Wednesday to gather public input on Cookeville’s Westside Development Project.
ASA Engineering firm will host several meetings with different focus groups, including the general public and community stakeholders. ASA Engineering Senior Project Manager Kevin Tucker said using focus groups helps the engineering firm obtain a broad range of information, concerns, and ideas.
“Historically, I have found that if you try to put specific groups together, you can really zero in on what they are specifically looking for,” Tucker said. “Ultimately, that gives us a better idea when we start to put all this together.”
Tucker said a questionnaire will also be available for the general public to fill out and provide input. Tucker said the questionnaire will help the engineering firm understand what the public is looking for in the area of the old Wilson plant and the Depot.
“We want to make this appealing to all age groups, we want to make this an economic driver for the businesses already there, and we believe that if we put a successful plan together, it’s going to attract new business and make the downtown that much more vibrant,” Tucker said.
Tucker said people who cannot attend the public meetings can still provide input by filling out the questionnaire. Tucker said the questionnaire will be available at City Hall and at several of the downtown businesses.
Tucker said once the meetings and questionnaire are complete, the feedback will be presented to the Cookeville City Council during a work session on October 13.
“We will prepare a written report on October 10 that will take all of these questionnaires, and we will tally those, and within that report, we will be able to have some specific ideas in terms of the plan that we will put together,” Tucker said.
Tucker said a town hall meeting will be held at City Hall on October 23, starting at 6:30pm, to reveal the final preliminary plan.
The focus group meetings next week will be located at the Gas Depot, located at 16 N Oak Street, Cookeville, TN.
Next Tuesday, business and property owners will meet at 9-11am, city staff and departments will meet from 1-3pm, the general public will meet from 3-5pm, and CityScape and Historical Commission will meet from 5-7pm.
Next Wednesday, business and property owners will meet from 9-11am, the general public will meet from 1-3pm, the chamber and tourism will meet from 3-5pm, and Tennessee Tech faculty and students, plus the general public, will meet from 5-7pm.
