Tag: Helping Homeless in Extreme Winter Conditions

With the cold weather here, our neighbors across Davidson County experiencing homelessness are the most vulnerable and need help.  The Metro Homelessness Commission has an opportunity for volunteer opportunities.  See the below flyer for details and contact information.

Donelson’s most historic neighborhood, Bluefields, was recently approved by the Tennessee Historic Commission to be added to the National Historic Register.  Congratulations to neighbors in Bluefields for receiving this honorary designation.  Read more on the Historic Bluefields website here.

Mayor Barry visited Metro Council at our first meeting on January 4^th and announced that every district would be getting sidewalks.  That was very welcome and appreciated news.  I subsequently had a meeting with Metro Public Works and Metro Planning to discuss the upcoming projects and specifics for timeframe and installation.  Here are the sidewalk projects we have coming:

1. Fairway Drive – This project will connect Stanford Montessori to the Donelson Library.  It will be on the west side of Fairway Drive and have a separating grass strip so it’s safer for pedestrians not directly next to passing cars.  One other connection will be on the east side of Fairway Drive from St. Philip’s Episcopal Church to Selma Drive, which is a section parents and students of Stanford use every day to get to school.  It will improve the crosswalk at Fairway Drive / Lebanon Pike and I’m working to hopefully get an improved MTA bus stop near the Library, which is currently located along the Lebanon Pike piece of this project.  This project should begin by the end of 2016 and take about 6-months to compete.
2. Lebanon Pike (south side) – This project will connect Bluefield Avenue to Graylynn Drive.  Metro Public Works was out surveying for this project in December.  No timeframe yet for when this project will start, but it is budgeted and will include the separating grass strip to keep pedestrians away from cars on Lebanon Pike.
3. Lebanon Pike (north side) – This project is one that has been in the works for a long time and CM Claiborne pushed to get throughout his time in office.  The funding comes from a grant to TDOT through the federal government and is an 80/20 split between that grant and Metro.  It will connect McGavock Pike to Old Lebanon Pike and is currently in the pre-engineering phase.  There is a lot of work to do on this project and I believe a conservative estimate of it beginning is probably the end of 2018 or 2019.
4. JB Estille Drive – This will the first sidewalk project for Downtown Donelson.  It will go from Lebanon Pike to Old Lebanon Pike and create a connection from the Music City Star Donelson Station to the Donelson Plaza.