The city of East Ridge is preparing to provide transportation alternatives for pedestrians and bikers in the city. A 10-foot multi-use path is planned for the south side of Ringgold Road and a five-foot sidewalk is planned for the north side. The work to build these will need to include retaining walls, curbs and gutters, ADA upgrades, striping, landscaping and utility relocation. A system for handling drainage must also be included. The correct pipe size to handle the water run-off will have to be determined and retention ponds that can drain slowly will have to be built along the way to collect water.
Since 2014 the city has been applying for and receiving grants to finance this project. In 2014 East Ridge was granted a TDOT Multimodal Access Grant for a 95/5 percent match. It will fund phase one of the project - building the paths traveling west from Tombras Avenue to East Ridge Avenue/John Ross Road.
Phase two will be paid for from a TDOT Transportation Alternatives Grant awarded in 2015. TDOT will provide 80 percent and the city is responsible for 20 percent of the construction of this phase of the trails traveling west from McBrien Road to Tombras Avenue.
The 2017 Transportation Alternative Grant will pay for building phase three of the multi-purpose path and sidewalk traveling west from John Ross Road to Kingwood Drive/Wimberly Lane.
At the city council meeting Thursday night, the council approved a resolution to apply for a 2018 TDOT Transportation Grant for phase four of the Ringgold Road pedestrian improvement project. If received, sidewalks will be built from Kingwood Drive to South Seminole.
Funding has already been secured for phases one through three and design and engineering for the project has started. The three grants will be combined so that they will be worked on as a single project. For consistency, ASA Engineering will be used for all phases. In all, the total grant money the city will receive is close to $2 million from TDOT for the project. East Ridge’s match will be $380,000. Actual construction should begin in 2018.
Authorization was given for East Ridge to take out a 20-year loan for $4.9 million to finance the Exit 1 Interchange reconfiguration project at I-75 and Ringgold Road that will lead into Jordan Crossing and Bass Pro Shop. The work will include realignment of the northbound off-ramp from I-75 with Camp Jordan Parkway, replacing ramps, traffic signalization, grading, drainage, sewer, storm drainage, paving, lighting, acquisition of property that is needed, and engineering costs. The city plans to pay the loan with Border Region reimbursements.
East Ridge also has proposed a plan that will pay for improvements, renovations and enhancements to the city’s Camp Jordan Park. East Ridge’s property taxes that come from the lands and buildings within the new retail development Jordan Crossing would pay for the improvements. East Ridge is asking Hamilton County to also designate the county’s portion of taxes collected from Jordan Crossing for improvements in the park. Mayor Brent Lambert said the whole county benefits from this park.
Hamilton County Commissioner Tim Boyd told the council that at a public meeting he held, no one was in favor of designating taxes to improve Camp Jordan. He said he would oppose the plan unless he hears from his constituents that they are in favor of the idea and implored citizens of East Ridge to email, call or text him so he will know what they want. Councilman Jacky Cagle also was against the idea, saying the money would be better spent for items that would help the entire city grow such as in the police and fire departments, in developing the Town Center, or helping to pay for a new fire engine. City Manager Scott Miller replied that the resolution presented Thursday night was only a concept, and there are no plans yet. To spend the money, the proposal would have to come back to the council. The resolution passed with only Mr. Cagle in opposition.
The city manager was authorized to make purchases for items to be used in the police, fire and rescue and public works departments. A street sweeper will be bought for $221,973 for public works. A 2018 Ford Explorer will be purchased for $30,952 for use of the fire inspector, and a Ford utility vehicle for $30,078 for the fire department. The purchase of six Dodge Charger pursuit vehicles was authorized for a total of $184,009. They will be used by the police department.
The Fire and Rescue Department will get nine new SCBA airpacks and 18 spare air bottles for the amount of $58,289. Nine portable radios for the Fire and Rescue Department and 12 for the police department for $96,918 were approved as well as six stalker radar units for a total of $10,275, six in-car video units for a total of $26,970, five in-car laptop computers for $9,357 and computer mounts for $2,262.