Paris, Tenn.–A dozen citizens gathered Monday evening for a City of Paris community input meeting to outline the scope of the upcoming sidewalk project for the Fairgrounds Rd/Royal Oak St. area. The city was awarded a Transportation Alternatives (TA) grant for the project which officials said will improve safety and connectivity for pedestrians in the community.
City Manager Kim Foster, Engineer Bob Safin and Community Development Director Jessica Crouch presented plans and explained the scope of the project. Several citizens had questions and several took advantage of Safin’s offer to meet one-on-one with him to go over how the project will affect their properties.
Also in attendance were Mayor Kathy Ray and Commissioners Sam Tharpe and Jackie Jones.
City officials applied for a grant for the project in 2022 and Foster said it most likely will begin construction in a year. The project is for some $1.3M, and is a federal grant funneled through the state.
Foster said the city was looking for long-term projects needed for the community and recognized how much foot traffic and congestion there is in that area anytime there is something happening at the Henry County Fairgrounds. “We knew this would be a great project for the walkers but we also knew there would be logistical challenges. Every grant comes with criteria you have to follow and this one was very competitive. But we had something in our favor because of the other project we already had completed with the sidewalks around the high school area.”
With the Fairgrounds/Royal Oak project, “You will now be able to walk from Patriot Mart on E. Wood St. all the way to Mineral Wells Ave., on sidewalks the whole way.”
Under the project, there will be complete upgrades to the intersection at Patriot Mart, with pedestrian signalization, plus the islands will be reworked for increased safety. There also will be two new handicapped parking areas at the fairgrounds.
Foster said, “I feel it will be a huge benefit to the neighborhood and I hope you all agree. We hope it will improve pedestrian safety and improve quality of life” to the community.
Safin said all the sidewalks will be five feet wide “so that two wheelchairs can travel on them at the same time.” Presently, the project is in the design and preliminary planning phase.
Engineers are mindful of the drainage problems in that area and “don’t want to cause any additional water issues,” Foster said. Safin agreed, noting, “It has to be engineered so it doesn’t cause any more problems.”
Anyone with questions can call City Hall at 641 1402.
Photo: City Manager Kim Foster points to preliminary drawings of the project. Shannon McFarlin photo.