The Big Soddy Creek Park will be getting a new pedestrian bridge to replace one that washed away. At the Thursday night Soddy Daisy Commission meeting a low bid of $57,316 was approved to pay for the 80-foot-long bridge that will cross the creek. There will be additional costs associated wit the installation, said City Manager Burt Johnson, but $100,000 was included in the 2023 budget for this project.
Soddy Daisy applied for a grant two years ago that it recently received.
It is funded by the Federal Highway Administration and comes to the city through the Tennessee Department of Transportation with the city managing the project. The $350,000 grant will be used to update all signalization at Thrasher Pike and Montlake Roads, which both serve as feeder roads onto Dayton Pike. Mr. Johnson said in the two years it took to receive the grant, prices have increased, but the city has reserved $70,000 that can pay for the difference.
The commissioners authorized the city manager to outfit three new Dodge Durango SUVs with lighting, The new cars have been bought for the police department.
A large tract of land located at 12220 Dayton Pike has been rezoned by the owner in two phases. The roughly 27 total acres is expected to hold a new residential development of townhouses. The zoning was changed on the second portion of the property on Thursday night on the second and final reading. The change is from Rural Residential district and Agricultural district to R-TZ Residential Townhouse / Zero Lot Line District. Rezoning the entire property will allow it to be built as a single development in the future. Any large development that takes place would have to meet the city’s criteria.
Volunteers in Soddy Daisy continue to benefit people who live in the city and in surrounding communities. The Soddy Daisy Community Library was founded by Curtis Cecil and Kelly Fleming through their Kelcurt Foundation. It has become much more to the community than a library devoted to books. It functions more as a community center that has programs and activities nearly every day of the month. They are offering over 38 programs currently such as baking, woodworking, auto repair, art and gardening classes. A free food program that fed 1,000 kids this summer in partnership with the YMCA is just ending. There are free book Fridays where books are given away and there are story times and book clubs. The library also has special activities such as a Lego Dump and movie nights. The biggest event in August will be the “community elevation celebration,” WILD. TVA is joining the SDCL at Veterans Park from 5-8:30 p.m. when 23 non-profit organizations that provide support for Soddy Daisy will come together so people can find out what they offer. There will also be games, crafts, music, a scavenger hunt and the movie Jumanji starting at 9 p.m. on a giant outdoor screen.
Mr. Cecil told the commissioners that since it opened in the summer of 2018, he has asked nothing from the city but now he needs help. With the increasing activity and use of the library, more space is needed. The move to purchase a building failed to materialize earlier this year, so now the commissioners are being asked to keep a lookout for an abandoned building or property where a new library could be built.
Community volunteer Jim Stewart reported to the commission on the 5-k race and 1-mile run that will take place the day of the Fall Festival that volunteers are organizing for Oct. 15. He said plans are progressing with over 50 people already signed up to run and there are still two months to go. This includes six disabled athletes. There are also already many vendors and sponsors that will participate.
Commissioner Robert Cothran reported that the volunteer who is building a flag retirement area at Veterans Park, plans to begin work on it in the next couple of weeks. The commissioner also said the Vietnam Veterans of Soddy Daisy is in the process of organizing a project aimed at helping flood victims in Kentucky. The group will be asking for donations of money and materials. The veterans will match up to $3,000 of money that is donated. Supplies that the people who lost everything need include tools and cleaning materials. The goal is to help from six to 12 families. The group from Soddy Daisy will take the donations and personally hand them out.