Frazier Ave Resurfacing & Restriping – Schedule Change

Updated 10/14

Frazier Ave Resurfacing & Restriping – Schedule Change

 This afternoon, the paving contractor notified CDOT of a scheduling change due to unforeseen delays in the lowering and raising of manholes on Frazier Ave. The contractor will begin resurfacing and restriping of Frazier Ave between Market Street and Barton Ave on Monday, October 21st, and will take an estimated 4 days to complete.

The subcontractor will be present to raise and lower sewer manholes within the project area through Friday. This will require the occasional single-lane closure, with flaggers present to direct traffic around the work sites.

Once work begins on Monday after 8 AM, a single lane will be maintained both westbound and eastbound during the daytime work, with the brief, occasional full closure of adjoining streets. Street parking will be restricted within the active work areas.

The final schematic and striping plans for Frazier Ave can be viewed here.

POC: Chattanooga Division of Transportation, 423-643-5950   

Justin Strickland, Public Space and Policy Coordinator

Frazier Ave Memorial and Dedication Service on November 16th

Last year, our community was shocked by the tragic accident on Frazier Avenue that claimed the lives of Anna and her son Jonathan. This year, we have an opportunity to heal together. Please join us for a Memorial and Dedication service in honor of the Devia family on November 16th from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Walker Pavilion in Coolidge Park to reflect and celebrate the power of transformation. Members of the Devia family will be traveling from Jacksonville, FL to attend, and members of our NCNA will be hosting the family in their homes.

This is a grassroots-led event organized by neighbors like you to provide a meaningful space to connect, grieve, and build a stronger, resilient community moving forward. Organizations providing grief, trauma, and public safety resources are invited to table and share information with the community. (Please contact Mariah Friend, mmfriend87@gmail.com, by October 21st for more information if your organization would like to participate).

Here’s the schedule of events:

• 12:00-3:30 pm - Community participation in painting butterflies led by local artist Lexi D’Ambrosio to represent the Devia Family for future installation at the site of Forest and Frazier Avenue

• 3:30 - 3:45 pm - Devia Family Memorial Dedication by Pastor Kimberly Laura

• 3:45 - 4:15 pm - Forest Bathing/Ground Blessing Ceremony with Ecotherapist Valerie Radu at the site of a tree planting in honor of the family in Coolidge Park

• 4:15-5:15 pm - Complete painting of the butterflies. Community partners will have tables with resources for grief support, healing, public safety, and trauma care

• 5:15-5:30 pm - Gathering for a candlelight vigil with a walk to the corner of Forest and Frazier with a moment of silence to end our time together

Community members are welcome to attend all or part of the event. Our hope is to provide a model for how we can overcome tragedy and heal together. Please share this event and invite others. We hope to see you there! 

How Can NCNA Help Our Local Schools?

What can NCNA do to support our local schools & neighbors? 

As an individual it can be daunting to figure out how to make an impact on something as large as a school district that supports 45,000 students. But as a neighborhood association, we can operate as a larger community with a stronger voice. 

• NCNA can become a reliable, proactive resource for information. Rumors and misinformation spread quickly, but we see the potential for NCNA to have a role in reducing confusion by doing the following: 

• Providing neighbors with timely resources to easily contact School Board and County elected officials to advocate for our schools.  

• Notifying neighbors when we can/should we be physically present at relevant School Board/County Commission/City Council meetings. This can relate to the ongoing Facilities Plan, but also things like providing a voice to support educational/student values (support school libraries, advocating for students and staff, etc.)

• Neighbors can tangibly support the school.

• Use your time or talents to support the school!  Just a few examples: 

• Who has cool tools that the STEM teachers could use in class? 

• Who has a business that might make a good Learning Expedition (field trip) destination? 

• Who may be interested in mentoring students? Tutoring students? Employing students? Help with minor projects at the school? Etc. 

• Help teachers with their Classroom Amazon Wishlists. 

• NPMM teachers’ Lower & Upper School Wishlists

• Fill up the Care Closets - The Normal Park Care Closet provides gently used and new clothing, backpacks, school supplies, shoes/socks, and hygiene items, to students that experience an emergency while at school. (Use the links on the left hand navigation to see what each school needs)

• NCNA can be a cheerleader for our local schools. Our schools do amazing things and we should be jumping for joy for that success - whether it’s test scores, recognition for special teacher achievements or (most importantly) everyday successes for our students. 

• Help us with Historic Preservation Grant research. Normal Park’s Upper and Lower school buildings are both about 100 years old! They are beautiful landmarks in the neighborhood, but they also suffer from decades of deferred maintenance. Neighbors have begun looking into ways to tap into Historic Preservation grants and government funding options for these old buildings so that they remain great places for our kids to learn every day. 

Join us for our next Education Committee Meeting on Sunday, October 6 at 4:00 p.m. at the Amy’s home. Address details will be sent via email. 

Upcoming NCNA Road Safety Meeting

We have two upcoming Road Safety meetings that all are welcome to attend. Please let us know that you are coming so that we are sure to have enough space by emailing us at northchattanooganeighbors@gmail.com:

• Thursday, October 3rd, 6:30 p.m. at Wyatt Rec Center (in the small building).

• A joint meeting of the Responsible Growth and Road Safety committees to discuss a collective neighborhood response to the proposed development on Franklin Street and how to work proactively to mitigate potential negative impacts that it could have. 

• The Road Safety points of interest include the immediate area of development on Franklin as well as the proposed one-way to two-way change on Hamilton, proposed sidewalks on Hamilton and the crosswalk on Dallas near the N. end of Market Street.  We would like to arrive at consensus about what we think could be both longer term improvements to the area as well as shorter term changes that are easier to implement while being effective at calming automobile traffic and increasing safety in the area.  

Information about proposed Franklin Street subdivision

Friday, October 11th, 11:45 a.m. at Basecamp on Frazier (location may change if raining or the group is very large).

• Carmen Harvey, the City Transportation Engineer, will join us to present updates on the city's rerouting plans during the Walnut St. bridge closure and to provide feedback on our questions and suggestions.

• In our discussion with Carmen and afterwards we will be working to finalize the statement on the Walnut closure rerouting that we've drafted.  Hopefully we can add more specific suggestions and ideas that may help during the closure period.  

• If time allows we will also discuss some of the next steps related to the goal of improving Tremont near Hixson Pike.

• September 18th updates from Public Works on Frazier and Walnut

• Our draft statement on the Walnut closure rerouting

If you plan to attend either meeting let us know so that we can secure adequate space: northchattanooganeighbors@gmail.com  

If you can't attend one of the meetings above but have input feel free to share it directly via email and we'll add it to the discussion.

Updates on Frazier Avenue and Walnut Street Bridge Plans

This morning, I got the most current updates from Jerramy Woods, the newly appointed Public Works Administrator, about plans for the Frazier Avenue redesign implementation, as well as the Walnut Street Bridge construction project.

Pending weather problems, the work to implement the Frazier Avenue redesign will begin next week (the week of September 23rd - 27th) and should be finished before Thanksgiving. [UPDATE 10/3: The paving team was called in for emergency work in the down areas impacted by Hurricane Helene. Public Works reports that they were told they should be here and moving forward next week.] Public Works has asked for our patience during the process, and we look forward to a much safer Frazier Avenue soon! The North Shore Merchants’ Collective is spearheading efforts with the City Planning Department to install planters along Frazier soon after the road changes are finished. Those planters will be sponsored by different local businesses that are committed to making the North Shore safer and more beautiful. If you have a business that would like to sponsor a planter, please email us: northchattanooganeighbors@gmail.com

"Detours" Slide from 9.17.2024 Public Works Presentation to City Council about Walnut Street Bridge renovations

I am attaching a presentation about the Walnut Street Bridge renovations that was delivered last night. The anticipated date of the bridge closure is March 17, 2025, and the anticipated date the bridge renovation completion is September 14, 2026. Of particular interest to our community is the slide entitled detours, which indicates current routes for pedestrian use while the bridge is closed. Walnut Bridge Renovation Presentation.

Sylvan Park Update: September

At the September NCNA meeting (9/5/2024), we heard from the Department of Parks and Outdoors regarding our first Green Spaces Initiative: Sylvan Park Revamp. For the last month, sheep have been grazing on non-native plants, helping clear the forest floor and paving the way to reemphasize native species. Most exciting, we reviewed a planning sketch that incorporates the feedback and comments collected during the GSI Survey.

Note: This draft sketch is for planning purposes only and is contingent on our shared, continued success of partners and funding.

Fundraising efforts to support this cause are underway. The next Beautification-Sustainability Committee meeting is scheduled for October 17th - 7pm at a member’s house near Sylvan (reach out for exact address if interested). We will see the latest progress in the park and discuss the individual elements involved with the private-public partnership that has been driving this initiative.

Please note: Do not feed the sheep! This can cause serious harm to the animals.

Supporting Local Schools

Why is supporting our local schools important for the neighborhood? 

There’s a quote that’s stuck with me for several years that comes from an old motto in Shaker Heights in Cleveland - “A community is known by the school it keeps.” In today’s world there are infinite factors that affect the success of a school, but there is no arguing that a well-regarded, well-supported school can be a tremendous benefit to its neighborhood. The reputation of Normal Park Museum Magnet (NPMM) is what drew our young family to Northshore when we moved to Chattanooga in 2020 and it has been a draw for countless other families. 

Our neighborhood is fortunate to have great schools at every level, from daycare & preschool at Northside Learning Center (NLC) to NPMM for pre-k-8th and Chattanooga and Chattanooga High Center for Creative Arts (CCA), a magnet school for 6th - 12th grades. 

How does having these schools right out our front door benefit our neighborhood? 

• Socially

• The ability for families and students to safely walk to school everyday is a key to community building and creating a family-friendly vibe. 

• Strong schools help families put down roots. These roots give us the motivation to engage with our neighbors to find ways to identify and overcome problems. 

• Economically

• For homes in the Normal Park school zone, the reputation of the school continues to positively impact home values. Homeowners who want to see their house values remain strong should have a vested interest in the school’s success, whether they have children attending school or not. 

In future posts, we’ll be sharing ways that NCNA and our neighborhood-at-large can support our local schools. Education committee members will also be meeting with school leaders to learn about ways our community can partner with the schools and promote those opportunities through NCNA, including opportunities to learn more about Historic Preservation grants to help modernize our aging school buildings. 

So where do we go from here? Join us for our next Education Committee Meeting on Sunday, October 6 at 4:00 p.m. at the Amy’s home. Please email: northchattanooganeighbors@gmail.com to let us know that you plan to come. Address details will be sent via email. 

- Amy Packer, Head of NCNA Schools Committee

NCNA Merchandise Fundraiser for Green Spaces Initiative

You might have noticed that an incredibly gifted designer in our neighborhood, Mark Cooley, donated his time and talent to create a new NCNA logo.

Vinyl stickers are available for sale, and we are taking pre-orders for t-shirts and hats. The proceeds of all sales will be used to raise funds for our Green Spaces Initiatives, beginning with the refurbishment and development of the walking paths and sitting spaces in the Sylvan Park Bird Sanctuary.

Thank you to Hovi Hats for donating the proceeds of all hats to our fundraising efforts! We are also thrilled to have local businesses Neat Pony and Wonder Press creating our t-shirts and stickers.

Please make your purchases here, and we will be in touch to arrange getting you the items when they come in: https://ncna.square.site/

NCNA Book Club - The Anxious Generation

On September 23rd, join neighbors to discuss Jonathan Haidt’s new book The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. We will meet from 7 - 8:30 at Real Roots Cafe, 607 N Market St. There will be beer, wine and the full menu available for purchase. RSVP at this link.

The discussion will be led by Suzanne Collins and Mary Helen Montgomery and will focus on Haidt’s conclusions about the need to return to play-based childhoods. Independence and play-based childhood experiences require community support, which is why this book makes sense for our NCNA community to read and discuss together.

We look forward to discussing the book and Haidt’s “New Norms”: no smartphones before high school, no social media before 16, phone-free schools, more independence, free play, and responsibility in the real world. We hope that you will read the book and join us to discuss.

NCNA Movie Night

On the evening of August 24th, neighbors gathered at Wyatt Community Center for games, cotton candy, and a movie. Kids played soccer, kickball and bounced in one neighbor’s bouncy house while parents chatted nearby and helped the Parks Department get the inflatable screen set up for the movie. Cassie Nice, from the NCNA Social Committee, made cotton candy, and neighborhood kids sold cupcakes, light up gear and handmade bracelets.

We were also happy to share materials to help people update voter registration and to give information about when early voting will take place this fall (October 16 - 31). NCNA member and neighbor, Allison Gorman, attended and was able to answer questions about her campaign for State House Representative for District 26.

We had planned to show Guardians of the Galaxy, but unfortunately the movie didn’t make it to us, so we appreciated everyone’s flexibility as we pivoted and watched Trolls. What a great night.

Responsible Growth - Trees

Charlie Mix, Michael Strok, and Kurt Martig joined us on August 22nd to share about initiatives around Chattanooga related to protecting our urban forest (and why we would want to). We learned about the impact of the Take Root Chattanooga Project and the many future impacts of this Urban Forestry Grant, as well as how the NCNA can get involved.

Ross Bailey, a NCNA member and owner of the local business Hovi Hats, has offered to create hats representing the Chattanooga Tree Collective, an arm of NCNA that will support efforts city-wide to plant and protect trees. All profits from hat sales will go to tree planting initiatives, beginning with the Rotary Tree Initiative.

GIS mapping has shown that between 1984 and 2021 Chattanooga lost 43% of our urban forest canopy. This leads to increased heat islands and decreased buffers for storm water run off, biodiversity, air quality and sense of place.

Sylvan Park Revamp

Several members of our NCNA Green Spaces Initiative met with representatives from the Parks Department to discuss a vision for the future of Sylvan Park Bird Sanctuary. We discussed our desire for the space to remain wild and a sanctuary for all of our neighbors — human, birds and other living creatures.

The sheep from Wild Violet Permaculture are a first step so that we can get a sense for the best uses for the space. With the invasive species (like kudzu, poison ivy and more) remediated, we are hoping to add more sitting spots along the path. Also, since there are no sidewalks leading to the park, we are hoping to build a path that will connect the park to Colville Street along the city’s easement under the power lines. Additionally, we hope to add a picnic table and a few other features.