Smokey City Alley Transformed Into Safe, Active Passage
By Kenny Halt
Alleys come in many shapes and sizes. Some are paved. Some are not. Some are used every day. Some residents will tell you that they didn’t even know it existed. Some just need a little bit of help. Some are a little bit more stubborn.
In 2021, the CRA began its first wave of alley maintenance. This effort ranged from tidying up alleys — which are staples of daily life — to uncovering long-forgotten ones buried under overgrowth and illegal dumping.
The results of this work proved fruitful. The program is being well-received by neighbors, and many alleys remain free of litter and dumping throughout the winter off-season.
In Spring 2022, the Alley Maintenance Program resumed with an added focus on addressing alleys that had continued to collect waste despite efforts to keep them clean. These select alleys received top-to-bottom care. Heavy machinery scraped sidewalks to reveal pavement below (if any), and professional tree trimming businesses opened canopies to allow light and improve visibility.
Although funding constraints forced the Alley Maintenance Program to go on hiatus from 2023-24, the CRA kept a close eye on the condition of the alleys. Many of the problem alleys that received the top-to-bottom treatment saw a sharp reduction in illegal dumping.
The alley between Looney and Saffarans Street, despite the effort, was not one of them. It was overgrown, overloaded with garbage, and a hot spot for illicit activity.
The resumption of the Alley Maintenance Program in 2025 provided a challenge for CRA contractors, Smokey City Block Crew, and West TN CDC. Due to ongoing illicit activity in the alley, it was decided that West TN CDC was tasked with removing the dumping. Grass and organics would be left to grow until a long-term plan could be established to ensure that clearing this alley would not be used in relation to illegal activity.
Following seven months of hard work by West TN CDC to make this monster manageable, the CRA is excited to announce that a plan for alley revitalization is now underway. Earlier this month, Ethic Solutions executed its first phase with an unprecedented deep clean.
