Community Council Endorses Roundabout

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the Sept. 23 meeting of the Sewanee Community Council, the council heard updates on the proposed roundabout, the retirement community survey and the upcoming deer cull. The Council also approved changes to the constitution and bylaws.

Frank Gladu, vice president for administrative services at the University, presented an overview of the roundabout proposed for the Highway 41-A intersection in downtown Sewanee. Vehicles would navigate the roundabout in a counter-clockwise directions. Gladu stressed that roundabouts increase pedestrian safety because pedestrians only need to watch for traffic from one direction and because traffic travels slower, typically about 15 mph. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) must approve the project. TDOT has reviewed the design, Gladu said, and they “seem receptive.” TDOT suggested state or federal funding might be available. The Council voted to endorse the roundabout project to emphasize community support.

Gladu also reported on the Retirement Community Survey conducted by the market research firm ProMatura to determine if Sewanee could support a retirement community on campus. Eight groups who potentially have interest in a Sewanee retirement community were invited to participate in the survey. Twenty percent of those receiving questionnaires have responded so far, Gladu said. (ProMatura said a 7–10 percent response rate was typical.) The survey included questions about the type of residences preferred, such as homes compared to various apartment arrangements. Three possible campus locations have been identified. The survey closes on Sept. 30. To request a questionnaire call (800) 201-1483. 

Among the factors to be considered is whether Sewanee could sustain a retirement community, Gladu said. He cited the statistics that the average age of individuals entering a retirement community was 84, and the average stay was two years, meaning on average there is a high turnover rate.

University Domain Manager Nate Wilson updated the council on this year’s deer cull plans. Statistics show a 25 percent drop in the deer population since this time last year, Wilson said, and a 40 percent drop in the past two years, but the population reduction is “not evenly distributed.” To address this, the cull will target herds that frequent certain locations, a strategy first used in 2012. The full schedule of deer cull dates and times and zone boundaries will be published in the Messenger. [See page 6 for the pre-cull hunt information and zone map.]

In the past, meeting minutes were taken by the council member elected secretary. To allow full participation of the members in discussion, meeting minutes are now taken by a non-council member. To reflect the change in procedure, the council voted to remove references to the secretary from the constitution and add the following sentence to the bylaws: “A secretary designated by the council will take minutes.”

The next meeting of the Sewanee Community Council is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 28.