The Crossville City Council will consider an ordinance on Tuesday next week to approve the abandonment of a portion of Shepherd’s Way right-of-way for Central Baptist Church, which is developing a master plan to expand parking and improve safety for its congregation.

The church seeks to close part of the road to address speeding through-traffic concerns and facilitate safe pedestrian access from parking areas. To proceed, the church requests assurance that, upon meeting all city requirements—including platting, constructing a cul-de-sac, and completing necessary survey work—the City will abandon the right-of-way.

Traffic studies indicate an average daily traffic count of 1,007 vehicles near Highway 127 South and 389 near Dunbar Lane, with most traffic occurring on Sundays and Wednesdays. City Staff recommends approving the ordinance, contingent on the church completing all requirements within three years of the ordinance’s third reading and providing a financial guarantee, to be determined by City Staff and agreed upon by the church, to cover potential maintenance or damage to Shepherd’s Way during construction.

If these conditions are not met, the ordinance will be rescinded, and the right-of-way will remain public. A map of the proposed area will be reviewed at the meeting before a decision is made.