Board OKs storage building site plan
Oakridger
A city board has approved the site plan for a planned three-story storage building on South Rutgers Avenue near Walmart after some debate about whether it should keep its lights on at night.
The building for Extra Space Storage is planned to include three stories of personal storage lockers with a design that resembles some of the stores in the nearby Main Street Oak Ridge shopping center. Both Main Street Oak Ridge and this storage unit are projects of Greenville, S.C.-based developer RealtyLink.
The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission, a board appointed by City Council, unanimously voted last Thursday, April 22, to approve the site plan, which shows the layout for the storage building and its surroundings. The site plan now needs only the approval from Planning Commission, not City Council.
Land Bank plans to buy Wilson St. property
Oakridger
The city of Oak Ridge s Land Bank is planning to purchase land in the middle of the city to help establish a downtown-type development there.
The Oak Ridge City Council voted unanimously at its Feb. 8 meeting to allow the city Land Bank to borrow $900,000 to purchase this land on Wilson Street. However, the resolution Council passed stated it will not be borrowing city money, and Council will not be involved in paying off the debt.
Oak Ridge City Council voted last year to recommend a “vision” for the street and surrounding area with “apartments, condos, restaurants, local shops, offices and beautiful green spaces,” according to a city resolution recommended by city staff. The street runs between the restaurants Kume at South Rutgers Avenue and El Cantarito on South Tulane Avenue, but the vision also included the surrounding area.