Kingsport’s sidewalk to nowhere
Out there in cow pasture country is a housing development that seems to get it’s way with the Kingsport, Tennessee City government.
On the recently annexed Rock Springs Road is a new housing development called Edinburgh. This housing development states that up to 330 new homes will be built and will be the location of a new John Adams city school that is now under construction. The developer of the Edinburgh development gave the city the land to build the school on and the city will need to bus in 125 students from other areas to help fill up the school.
The Edinburgh developer went to a BMA meeting and there were discussions about doing road work at the Edinburgh location. They even had a local resident come to the meeting and state how bad the road was. They even mentioned that in the 1950’s a lady got killed on the road and some teenagers flipped their car also.
The developer got the roadwork approved and the developer paid for the grading, but guess what, the city paid for the paving, curbs and sidewalk on a country road. This is a sidewalk that leads to nowhere and is about 400 feet long.
One has to drive almost two miles from I-26 on Rock Springs Road going past cow pastures and hay fields to get to this sidewalk.
Safety was mentioned as a reason to do the roadwork, but local folks know that the real reason was to make the Edinburgh development more attractive. To cite someone getting killed on that road near the Edinburgh in the 1950’s when it was likely a dirt road is really stretching it a bit and the section that had the road work done was no more dangerous than other areas of Rock Springs Road.
My whole point in the above is Kingsport city government is willing to help new developments with sidewalks and curbs, but has failed to provide the same in older established neighborhoods.
If you feel that this is unfair, then ask Mayor Phillips to install a sidewalk in front of your property. Better yet, get the entire neighborhood organized where you live and request your sidewalks. I am sure that Mayor Phillips will be more than willing to help you with your sidewalks in an election year.