Ellington

Over the past few years, it has become customary for citizens to attend County Commission meetings to complain about stormwater runoff causing property damage, destruction of roads and flooding.

This month, concerns were again raised about drainage — or the lack thereof — on Charles Lane and Holmes Drive.

“It has been an issue since the 1990s,” County Manger Mike Helton said.

It might not have been the first time the issue has come before the commissioners, but it might be the last.

The problem with runoff water causing damage to property had never been successfully addressed because Holmes, which drains onto Charles, is a public road and Charles is not. It being a private road should have kept any county employees from performing work on Charles Lane, but that was not the case.

Years ago, the county did spread gravel on the road and make some repairs. County Attorney Chad Young said there is no documentation that the county ever maintained Charles Lane but reported that long-time employees recalled such work having been done. Because they did, the county now is responsible for the road’s maintenance.

Helton presented the commissioners with two possible solutions. One, at a cost of about $5,000-$10,000, involves leveling Holmes Drive, building a water-diverting berm and repaving the public street. The other solution costs about $35,000 and involves paving Charles Lane, now a gravel road, and making it a public road.

Commission Chairman Keith Greene asked if the Commission wanted to continue remedial work only on the public road or if Charles Lane should be declared a public road so work could proceed on both.

By a 3-2 vote (with DeWayne Hill, Jim Cutler and Bobby Winters voting for, while Greene and Jeff Long voted against) the commissioners approved making Charles Lane a public road and moving forward with repairs.

The commissioners were divided on another measure regarding a public road, the naming of a new road that intersects the recently completed project of widening and repaving Cloud Springs Road. The road in question is an extension of Mack Smith Road, which has been a main connector between East Ridge, Tenn., and the Lakeview area.

Mack Smith Road had terminated in a T-intersection prior to Cloud Springs Road being widened to four lanes. As part of that project, Mack Smith was extended south across Cloud Springs Road to Mineral Avenue.

Having the new, unnamed road presented problems for emergency dispatchers as there was no agreement on whether the road was part of Mineral Avenue or Mack Smith Road.

“It could be Mack Smith, Mack Smith Extension or Mineral Avenue Extension,” Helton said.

Commissioners raised questions about what would become of mailing addresses on the short stretch of road and were told there were no homes or businesses that would be affected by whatever name was decided on. Commissioner Jeff Long suggested the name Mineral Avenue Extension be used, since the new road is on the “Mineral Avenue side” of Cloud Springs Road.

The commissioners by a 3-2 vote (with Greene, Long and Cutler voting in favor and Hill and Winters voting against) decided the road’s name will be officially become Mineral Avenue Extension.