Turning lane on Highway 96 could pose problem for plan to finish first phase

A turning lane on Highway 96 could become the proverbial monkey wrench in the town of Burns’ plans to complete the first phase of its new park on Highway 96. At a work session of the Board of Commissioners Thursday night, Mayor Landon Mathis outlined a plan to borrow up to $175,000 at zero interest from TriStar Bank to complete the ballfields and other items in the first phase of the park. But what was not addressed in the plan is a turning lane proposed by the Tennessee Department of Transportation to improve access to the new park. Attorney Tim Potter said the town received a $308,000 grant from TDOT in 2011 for construction costs for the turning lane, but like the park grant it is designed to reimburse the town, meaning Burns will have to come up with the funds to build the turning lane. Potter said the grant also does not include funds for environmental and design documents needed for the project. Commissioner Bill Allen asked if the turning lane is mandated by TDOT, which Potter said he didn’t know but would have an answer by Monday night’s regular session of the commission. “If it ain’t mandatory, let’s deal with this thing first,” Allen said of completing the park phase. The Dickson County School Board gave Burns $218,000 toward the access road for the park because it hopes to build a new middle school on adjacent property. The board also contributed money for the engineering work required for the turning lane, but at least one Burns official said that money might already have been spent on other aspects of the project. Potter, who also is chairman of the school board, said he would check with Finance Director Linda Frazier to see if that money was sent to the town and, if so, where it went. Mathis had previously said he hoped to lower the town’s property tax rate back to 33 cents, but Thursday night suggested it might have to be left at the current 66 cents another year with the additional $50,000 the increase generates being specifically earmarked for the park project.