Best Brands Expanding To Cleveland, Tn.; Coach Scott Cummings Rec Program Again Funded

  • Tuesday, August 9, 2016
  • Gail Perry

A new business is planning to locate in Cleveland dependent upon receiving a permit to operate. The Cleveland City Council on Monday gave the city attorney approval to create a new class of beer permit. Conditions at the location of 134 Industrial Court will have to meet those required before a permit will be issued to Best Brands, Inc., a Tennessee-based distributor of wine and spirits. The sole location until now has been in Nashville. The new category of permit is non-consumption and is limited to distribution.

 

The economic impact will be significant, said attorney Curtis Harrington on behalf of Best Brands. The company will occupy 100,000 square feet of warehousing and in the first 12 months expects to hire 13-15 local people for sales, warehouse workers and delivery drivers. He said a $100,000 cooler will be locally sourced as well as delivery trucks.

 

The council approved funding for Cleveland’s youth football program run by Coach Scott Cummings. Last year was the first year for the program and it required $36,000 to get it started. Of that, $12,000 came from Cleveland’s parks and recreation budget. Coach Cummings told the council that last year around 200 kids participated including cheerleaders and a dance team as well as the football players. It is for children ages five through sixth grade. The goal is to increase participation and create a local league. The council voted to provide $8,000 in 2016-2017, with Councilman David May saying that it is a great investment in the community. 

 

The city has been awarded a $500,000 grant that will be matched by Cleveland for a total of $1 million to make repairs to the tennis courts at Tinsley Park. The council has agreed to create a committee including representatives from the local tennis community to decide exactly how the money will be spent in a way to benefit all tennis players. Commissioner Richard Banks said that he would like to see some indoor courts and also a plan for maintenance of the courts on a regular basis. If the money is not restricted to Tinsley Park, he would also like to spread it to a park in the south end of Cleveland. Commissioner Avery Johnson would like to share the grant by repairing the Blythe Avenue courts.

 

Neighbors on both sides of a dilapidated house at 933 Harle Ave. came to the meeting asking the city to require the owner of the house to bring it up to city codes or else demolish it. It is a 1920’s Craftsman style house in Cleveland’s Historic District that has been an on-going problem for the past 10 years. In 2011 the house was deemed unlivable and the owner was asked to make repairs but failed to comply. Instead, he got tenants that added to the problems, it was stated. Recently the city’s codes enforcer inspected the house along with a structural engineer. It was found that the problems are mostly sanitary, not structural, so now the city will ask for involvement from the Health Department.

 

The tax value of the house is $49,900. If repairs to bring it up to code are greater than 50 percent of the value, the city has an option to condemn it. If repairs are not made, then it can be demolished. If the city pays to have the demolition done, a lien will be placed against it. The owner will have 30-60 days notice and can appeal the decision within10 days.

 

The owner told the council that his plans are to clean up the house and bring it up to neighborhood standards. He said he planned to meet with contractors to get estimates of the cost for the repairs and renovations that would return it back to a historic home. The council was told that he anticipates putting it up for sale before the end of the year. Because of the history of non-compliance, the council asked that the owner provide the structural engineer’s report and a contractor’s estimate to the city in the next 30 days. Councilman Dale Hughes said he has confidence that the owner will do what he says, and asked to give him the opportunity. Discussion of the house will be back on the agenda Sept.12.

 

The council voted to annex .52 acres on Tasso Lane that was in the unincorporated county on request of the owner. The property was then zoned into a Planned Unit Development (PUD 12).

 

The city also will accept the conveyance of property to be used for the development of Taylor’s Spring Park. The land was donated to the city.

 

A vote also was in favor of reimbursing the city for expenditures related to the new Candies Creek Cherokee Elementary School from $10 million in proceeds from notes, bonds or other loans.

 

The council voted to authorize the incurring of indebtedness not to exceed $7.7 million for miscellaneous city projects, and then authorized a loan in the principal amount, not to exceed $7.7 million and the issuance of a bond.

 

Zoning regulations were revised that will require that the planning commission give approval before the city council can consider any motion regarding the Inman Street East Zoning District.  

 

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