Cookeville Planning Commission approved a study to expand the city Urban Growth Boundary Monday, hoping to protect areas where Cookeville could expand.
Planning Commission Chairman Jim Woodford said the commission predicts the city will continue expanding at a steady rate. The city has seen significant growth over the past few years. Woodford said the boundary growth is a preemptive measure, as he hopes to give Cookeville the room it needs to expand further.
“To me its just being responsible and being proactive with our growth because we just don’t want anything to pop up,” Woodford said. “Because we try to protect property owners whether they’re commercial or residential. So this is protecting not only the people that own property that are potentially gonna be your neighbor or a business.”
Woodford said establishing an updated urban growth boundary will benefit businesses and residents. Woodford said changing the boundary does not mean annexation. He said the city must ask property owners if they would like to be added to the boundary.
Woodford said they are evaluating areas of potential growth. Woodford said the Eastern and Western areas of Cookeville seem promising. Woodford said Tennessee Avenue and South of I-40 are areas they are interested in.
“The road that connects Tennessee Ave connects Hwy 70 with Hwy 40.” Woodford said. “That’s an area that’s probably gonna grow. And that’s what it was planned to do, take care of potential growth.”
Woodford said the Commission evaluates the best ways to zone properties that could fall under the new growth boundary. Woodford said areas zoned as primarily residential will stay that way, and areas near major anterior roads will likely be commercial areas.
“We’re doing multiple things along with this with like, how do we want this area to be zoned, what do we think, is it residential, is it commercial, is it going to be different things that we’re looking for.”
