Why vote for Charlie Hensley

Major accomplishments prior to Planning Commission appointment:

I successfully helped convince TVA to NOT build a train-to-barge coal transfer facility across the river from where Calhoun’s Restaurant is located on our Eastern Waterfront. ..avoided outcomes:

• There would be no rowing course
• Less enjoyable waterfront area
• Bank erosion and silt build-up in Melton Hill Lake
• Negative impacts on sport fishing and boating on Melton Hill Lake
• Helped design cable system currently locating buoys for rowing events.

After my appointment to the PC in 1984:

Helped create the Eastern Waterfront Plan that has guided our very successful waterfront park.

Also, I helped create the Illinois Avenue Corridor Study that continues to guide development along Illinois Avenue.

Our enviable trail system, more than 80mi within our City limits, has been established since the mid-’80’s and we are still making improvements with the next big addition being the rails-to-trails for the RR right of way from North Melton Lake Drive to the South end of Lafayette Drive.

My contributions to Oak Ridge, through the Planning Commission, include major Commercial and Residential developments such as Commerce Park, Hendrix Creek and Hendrix Village PUD’s, Whippoorwill Drive, Wolf Creek, and The Preserve (formerly Rarity Ridge). I reviewed plans and budgets for the new High School and full supported it’s completion.

Being on both the Planning Commission and City Council allows exposure to more public input, more data review, more thought, and sounder decisions.

I have successfully initiated and completed several impactful actions in Oak Ridge

• About 2010 I advocated for and facilitated the creation the position of Retail Development Specialist, with significant push-back, as an advisor to the City Manager. That individual has coordinated the redevelopment of the Mall, redesigned and implemented and improved layout for Jackson Square, negotiated with developers for much of the development along Illinois Avenue, and continues as an active planner and vital advisor to City Staff.
• I also worked with President Gary Goff of Roane State by advocating and facilitating a donation of $500,000 from Oak Ridge to Roane State Oak Ridge Campus for the newest classroom building now is service…the Goff Building.

Current active changes and additions to Oak Ridge coming now:

• Potentially over $30Billion in capital investment, and almost 5,000 jobs in new nuclear related industries.
• 800 apartments and we currently average 160 new houses per year Rarity Ridge, Forest Park, Groves Park, Scarborough Homes
• Wilson Street Development is projected to create 300 residential units and are related to ORNL housing for Post Doctoral candidates, and also added apartments as part of Main Street Lofts.

All this will be wonderful, but why elect Charlie Hensley?

• I am pro-industrial development with much experience in the nuclear arena. My career began in 1968 at K-25 in gas centrifuge development, machine optimization, manufacturing facility planning, and fabrication tooling in the US Gas Centrifuge program.
• I later transferred to ORNL where I worked in nuclear fuels reprocessing for the liquid metal fast breeder and the gas cooled reactor program, and designing equipment and planning industrial facilities.

My career, in the technical arena has come full circle with ORANO building a centrifuge enrichment plant and OKLO building a fuel reprocessing facility….in Oak Ridge!!!

I also take special interests in requests from individual citizens and groups. In just the past year these issues are some of the more significant:

1. I’m seeking a solution to the Noble Metals/Warehouse Road noise issues for residents on Clifton Circle and Claremont Road. A solution is in sight.
2. I helped facilitate a zoning change to allow small in-home business to be allowed in residential neighborhoods.
3. I researched and facilitated preliminary denial (Planning Commission) for a change to the Hendrix Village PUD that would have removed open space access from multiple adjoining homes and protecting their home values and amenities.
4. I’m also directly involved in solving the problem of paving the roads in Groves Park Commons that do not belong to the City.

   Protection of parks, trails, and open-spaces for recreation and human power sports for the future.

   As stated above, I strongly supported creation of our wonderful trails, parks, recreation, and open spaces. But, there is a related issue I feel very strongly about.

   DOE owns and controls approximately 20,000 acres, with at least 30miles of pristine waterfront along with the unspoiled wilderness. Most of the unspoiled area is between Solway Bridge and Melton Hill Dam. I want to protect as much of this as possible while integrating this massive opportunity into our City.

   My intentions were demonstrated by my actions, along with the Planning Commission, to designate the 4,000acres of 3-Bends protected area as “Nature and Open Space” in the new Comprehensive Plan. Unfortunately, the remainder of the 20,000acres was left undesignated as FIR (Federal Industrial and Research).

   DOE has labeled this vast natural resource as “under-utilized property”. An example of what could happen in the future was demonstrated when DOE, through CROET, sold the former K-25 Powerhouse Site to a starter company, Carbon Rivers, who are using it mainly for a spent windmill blade junkyard. This transaction occurred without any input from the City government. This is just a preview of what could happen to the 20,000acres of unspoiled wilderness. Stay tuned for I will continue to advocate for the area’s protection, and also for the creation of new zones for “Preservation”, “Waterfront”, “Natural area”.