Several businesses in downtown Woodbury have complained about aneighboring probation office and the concerns that the loitering of the
clients have had a negative effect on their businesses. Ron Fryar, owner
and publisher of the Cannon Courier represented several businesses on the
downtown square at the monthly Woodbury Planning Commission meeting last
night at City Hall. Mr.Fryar stated on Wednesdays clients of the
Providence Community Corrections, the local misdemeanor probation service
company loiter outside the office. Some businesses feel the loitering is
intimidating including a next door neighbor at the Cannon Dance Studio who
says her business has been effected by the crowd on Wednesdays which is
the only day the office is open to local and area residents who have been
put on probation by the Court System. Several suggestions were talked
about throughout the discussion and almost all suggestions were packaged
together. The Commission decided to put no loitering signs around the
outside of the probation office, talk to the staff of the probation office
to address the problem and have them make clients stay inside the
building. There will also be signs inside warning clients and the city of
Woodbury will step up police presence to enforce the no loitering policy.
Other matters before the planning commission included. State Planner
Shannon Copas attended the meeting for the first time. Mr. Copas has been
assigned as the State Planner to help the town of Woodbury. Mr. Copas
brought up training and possible future training topics but most of the
Commission has already gone through the required 4 hours of training for
this year. Mr. Copas will review the past training and see if anyone
needs to make up hours.
Debbie Vaughn owner of the Old Feed Store Antique Mall approached the
board. Ms. Vaughn is planning on opening a cafe in the Mall called the
Gathering Place. According to a State Of Tennessee International
Commercial Building Code it is necessary for restaurants to have a certain
type Suppression Hood System but could be bypassed if the restaurant was
just a cafe and deli in which the Gathering Place would be termed as such.
A waiver needed to come from the Planning Commission according to the
Woodbury City Building Inspector, Phillip Burns. It was discovered that
the matter needed to go before the Council Of Woodbury. A motion was
passed an approved that the Planning Commission would make a
recommendation to approve the waiver and present it to the Woodbury Mayor
and Board Of Aldermen for a vote.
The next meeting of the City Planning Commission will be October 18th
