Contracts approved on Town road projects
Concerning the Union Road project, Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen unanimously approved a contract with CDM Smith Inc. to perform construction, engineering and inspection services for the project.
“We are hoping to go to construction on that later this summer,” Town engineer Darryl Smith said. “We want a CEI consultant with us when we do. The proposal has a fee of $953,136.
“That’s a fairly hefty fee, but keep in mind the project is 80 percent federally funded with a 20 percent local match,” he added, explaining the project is “funded through Surface Transportation Block Grants — with an 80/20 federal/local funding split — and must follow all requirements of [Tennessee Department of Transportation’s] Local Programs Development Office.
When asked if the contract was a TDOT requirement to have a CEI, Smith said it was not “an all-out requirement; it is a very heavily worded suggestion that if you don’t have the staff to properly manage the paperwork, you better get a [Construction, Engineering and Inspection] consultant to represent the Town in managing the project, overseeing all testing of materials and ensuring the project is constructed in accordance with TDOT's Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction,” Smith said. “We have completed the process of issuing a Request for Qualifications and selected CDM Smith as our preferred consultant based upon their qualifications.”
Vice Mayor Scott Meyer made the motion to approve the contract, and Alderman Alex Cain seconded the motion.
According to Smith, the project includes the reconstruction of about 4,200 feet of Union Road, between N. Hobbs Road and Everett Road.
“Additional improvements will be made to North Hobbs Road, from Kingston Pike to Union Road,” he said. “Right-of-way acquisition is nearing completion, and we anticipate notice to proceed with construction in the coming months.” In similar action, the Board unanimously approved a contract with Butler Appraisal Group, LLC., for appraisal services for the Virtue Road/Boyd Station Road project.
The company will provide appraisal review services for acquisition of right-of-way.
“We are hoping to get started on the right-of-way acquisition phase for this project very shortly,” Smith said. “One of the chief tasks is appraisal reviews.
“Butler Appraisal Group has done this work for us several times in the past, and we’ve always been happy with their work,” he said. “Their proposal has a not-to-exceed fee of $51,450.”
Alderman Joe LaCroix made the motion to approve, and Alderman Drew Burnette seconded it.
When asked about the timing of the project, Smith replied “a year and a half to two-and-a-half years” to be completed.
“Once that is in place, they’ll go ahead and start right away [with appraisals, offers and negotiations],” Smith added.
“After it is approved, when will it start?” Mayor Ron Williams asked. “We need to let the residents know.”
“We will have to bring another contract to you for the negotiations and appraisals,” he said. “Those two can be done with a subcontract.
“I’m hoping to get that early next week,” Smith said. “We have made a selection on right-of-way agents, but if I get it on Monday, we may be able to bring it to the Board by the next Board meeting.
“Once that is in place, they will go ahead and start right away,” he said. “They still have to get their books in order, their brochures together for the appraisals.
“The appraisals will happen, then the appraisal reviews take place and then offers are made and negotiations,” Smith added.
“Can we make sure this gets on the website so folks are aware of what’s going on?” Williams asked.
“Yes, we’re happy to update whatever we can on the project,” Town administrator David Smoak said. “The offers won’t happen anytime soon. That’s going to take a little while.”
“When do you anticipate someone from us or them contacting the residents?” Burnette asked. “I definitely, 1,000 percent, don’t want anyone contacting them except us, and not somebody talking about appraisal.
“This is where I think we get into some backlash and trouble, right?” he said. “They hear about it from somebody saying, ‘I’d like to offer you this for this part of your property.’ That needs to come from us, if not me, [then] Southside Joe [LaCroix].”
“Normally, it comes from the buyers, from the negotiators,” Smith said. “It’s just a letter that goes out to each of the property owners to let them know the process.
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s good,” Burnette responded. “This could be my personal opinion. I do not like it. I think we got to change that.”
“I think we can get an earlier letter out,” Smith said.
“Can we, the Board — especially in this area — get notified that letters are being prepared or ready to go out where we can start getting that information out to the public, saying, ‘we’ve got appraisals coming?” LaCroix asked. “It should have some notification from us to tell our constituents that something’s coming. No surprises.”
“Well, for sure, at the absolute minimum, we need to be in the email chain,” Williams said.
“When the plans were developed that are now going to be used to determine what property is needed, were those plans approved by the Planning Commission?” Town attorney Tom Hale asked.
Smith answered Farragut Municipal Planning Commission approved those plans and the Town had a separate public hearing on the project last summer.
“So everybody whose going to be affected by this project, adjacent land owners, would have had the opportunity … would they have known about it? Hale asked again.
“We had a good turnout for the public hearing,” Smith answered.
Still, “I just think, when we talk about buying, acquiring, that we need to be there, especially this,” Burnette said. “This is a long project, but there are not that many homes.”
Smith said there only are 23 tracts that would be impacted.
“That should be pretty easy to accomplish to make sure there’s no surprise to any of them,” Burnette said.
“I concur,” LaCroix added. “I think the big takeaway is no surprises … 23 properties? That is something we could reach out.”
“I certainly think it’s easy for us to do more communication with that group out there,” Smoak said. “I just want to make sure the expectations you are looking for or what you’re asking us. I just need to get with you, talk through that process and make sure you are comfortable with it before we spend a lot of time doing something that’s not what you want us to do.
“We definitely don’t want any misconception on this,” Williams said. “It is a big project … it does require that we do due diligence with our residents.”
“The good part is we have time to work on that,” he added.
Smith the project includes the reconstruction of Virtue Road from 1,200 feet south of Needlegrass Lane to Willow Cove Way on Boyd Station.
“Our design consultant has completed right-of-way plans for the project, and we have been given notice to proceed with the right-of-way acquisition phase,” he said. “The project is funded through federal Surface Transportation Block Grants with an 80/20 federal/local funding split and must follow all requirements of TDOT's Local Programs Development Office.
“One of the requirements is that right-of-way appraisers, appraisal reviewers, negotiating agents and title companies must all be separate entities to comply with the Uniform
Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970,” Smith said. “We have completed the process of issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) and
selected Butler Appraisal Group, LLC, as our preferred consultant based upon their qualifications.”
