Westview Article - from Council members Crafton, Tygard, Whitson

At its' August 16th meeting, the Metro Council approved a $344 million Capital Improvements Budget that includes projects with significant benefits to the 22nd, 23rd and 35th District. Included in the budget was funding for an expansion of the Harpeth River Greenways (from Warner Parks around Ensworth High School to the Bellevue Exchange Club/Youth Incorporated Sports Complex), a new elementary school on McCrory Lane to relieve overcrowding of Harpeth Valley Elementary School and a shift of $2 million in General Services District sidewalk funds (no sidewalks were proposed in any of these 3 districts) to GSD road improvement funds, such as turn lanes at intersections and traffic signals. Also included was the initial $800,000 in planning for an expanded Bellevue-area regional library. Next year's Capital Plan includes the remaining construction funds ($8.2 million) for this eagerly anticipated project. The planned Bellevue contemporary library will be a diverse and economically effective service institution, providing persons of all ages and educational levels with access to knowledge and information. It should be a center for community programming and civic meetings. The public library is the only educational resource with the potential to serve all residents of a given community, from the very youngest in story hours to students of all ages who depend upon the public library for report materials to seniors using large print materials. Planning and construction for the new library is expected to take about 2 years to complete. To begin the process, an Oversight Committee will be constituted. Members of the committee will include representatives from the library staff, the Library Board of Trustees, Metro Real Property Services, the Metro Planning Commission, the architect firm and other consultants. The Library Board of Trustees in their function as the governing board of the Nashville Public Library makes final decisions on library facilities and sites. Planning for the library facility - what types of spaces will be included (for example, a children's story hour room, quiet study areas, public computer area) and how those spaces should be arranged - will begin as soon as a library planning consultant is selected. Design of the building will begin when the Library Program is complete and an architectural firm is selected. Site selection is an important process that should begin as soon as the Oversight Committee is formed. Choosing the right site is crucial to the success of the library branch. It has been shown repeatedly in studies about community libraries that the community library should be located in an area where people go routinely to conduct their everyday errands and business. The Oversight Committee will evaluate potential sites on six basic criteria: Cost factors, including land purchase cost and availability General characteristics, including available acreage and site configuration Detail characteristics, including ease of development and environmental issues Site accessibility, including automobile and mass transit access Site impact, including neighborhood compatibility and demographic patterns Planning aspects, including zoning compliance and visual presence In addition, meetings with community members are vital, particularly at two points in the process: a.) as the building program is being formulated and b.) as the final decision is being made about the site. This was the process that was used to design and locate the five most recent regional branches: Bordeaux, Hermitage, Green Hills, Madison and Edmondson Pike. The locations have proven to be well-chosen and the libraries are heavily used by the communities. Sales Tax Referendum We also want to remind citizens that the very-important referendum on the ½ % sales tax increase will be held on Tuesday, September 13th. Early voting begins Wednesday, August 24 at the Howard School Office Complex and Saturday, August 27 at Bellevue Mall. Early voting continues thru Thursday, September 8. Citizens will be asked to vote on the following question: Shall ordinance number BL2005-665, passed by the Metro County Council, which increases the local sales tax rate from two and one-fourth (2 ¼) percent to two and three-fourths (2 ¾) percent, become operative?                  Vote For or Against Since the Belle Meade City Hall has construction is not available, we hope that all residents who choose to avoid election day lines will select Bellevue Center as a location. The following is a list of Bellevue Center early voting times:      Saturday, August 27               9:00 am till 4:00 pm      Mon - Fri, August 29-Sept 2          8:00 am till 6:30 pm      Closed Labor Day Weekend      Tue - Thu, Sept 6 - 8               8:00 am till 6:30 pm As always, please feel free to contact any of us at the references found at the nashville.gov web page. We appreciate the opportunity to represent our community.