"Impact" fees?

What is the correct action by the City of Spring Hill right now, considering the caliber of decisions being made for us in Columbia?
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veryone keeps asking about this Maury County school site, so let's look at it a little bit more. I feel like we are beating the dead horse again, but it is very important, so let's look at solutions to the problem instead of continuing to show how bad a decision it is by the county (because really, when was the last time those governmental bodies down south made a good decision?) So, here is the million dollar question...

What is the correct action by the City of Spring Hill right now, considering the caliber of decisions being made for us in Columbia?

First lets take a look at a recent article about the subject.

Board Tables Middle School Decision
By DAN COPP
Staff Writer

In the latest chapter of the ongoing saga of a proposed middle school in Spring Hill, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen deferred a resolution authorizing the waiver of about $300,000 in building and permit fees for a site on Cleburne Road.

Several aldermen felt it prudent to hold off any building fee deductions until the Maury County Commission voted to fund the School Board's preferred site for a middle school on Cleburne Road.

However, several aldermen have objected to the Cleburn site. On Aug. 8, city officials voted to knock off more than $300,000 in fees associated with property on Jim Warren Road. In a political tug-of-war, the Maury County School Board voted to support Cleburn Road as the target location for a new middle school, fearing the Jim Warren site could cost $400,000 more.

Although he didn't agree with the School Board's decision, Vice Mayor Miles Johnson said the city should support the new middle school for the children's sake.

“There are road problems with this facility,” Johnson said. “We're not in any shape to build roads, and nobody has stepped up to build them. But the School Board has chosen (Celburn Road). Since the city has supported all the schools in the past regardless of where they were, we should support it. No one on this board likes that spot, but if we're going to support one school, we need to support all schools. The children deserve a school here in Spring Hill.”

Ward 2 Alderman Eliot Mitchell echoed Johnson's sentiments but recommended the board defer their vote to deduct any building fees until the Maury County Commission took a stance on the issue.

“I want to point out eight years ago that this board was predominately made up of Maury County citizens, and Williamson County Schools snubbed this board and built a school predominately for Spring Hill children in Thompson's Station as opposed to using property in Spring Hill,” Mitchell noted. “The city spent six figures of tax dollars installing a stop light in front of that school and agreed to run a sewer line to that school even though it was outside of city limits.

“They could have shown Williamson County the stupidity of their decision, but instead looked above and beyond the arrogance by saying it was all about providing a school for the kids, regardless of where it's at,” he continued. “I believe, since the Maury County Commission hasn't voted to fund the school yet, we would be wise to hold off our vote until they had their vote.” Mitchell said city leaders shouldn't squabble with the school board because children could end up paying the price.

“We need to continue as a board to maintain the relationship we've had with these school boards and be a partner to them instead of getting into this tit-for-tat contest to show who's got the most authority or arrogance,” the alderman said before making a motion to defer the item. “I'm telling you right now, if we charge that school board $300,000 to build that school (on Cleburn Road), that $300,000 will come out of the school's budget and will ultimately take away the kids' baseball fields, football fields and more. It's all about building schools for the community, and we should be glad we're arguing where to put the school instead of arguing to put a school in.”

County Road Superintendent Van Boshers estimated it would cost more than $3.5 million to make improvements to roads surrounding the Cleburne site.

Ward 3 Alderman Rick Graham, who voted in favor of deferring the resolution Monday, said on numerous occasions he would deny any building fee waivers for a school on Cleburn Road, which he considers unsuitable for such a facility.

“I'm not going to neglect my duties because of the School Board's poor choices and political influences,” Graham said.

Maury County Mayor Jim Bailey said the Spring Hill middle school issue could surface on the September agenda.

Commissioners brought to light another potential school site at the Honey Farm south of Neapolois, which would cost about $2 million, according Ward 4 Alderman Charles Raines, who owns the property. The Jim Warren site costs about $1.2 million, and the Cleburn property was donated to the Maury County School Board by Chapter 2 Investments in March.

Ward 4 Alderman Bruce Hull feared that any delays to support the proposed middle school could jeopardize its very existence.

“If this school doesn't happen, I personally don't think we'll have a middle school at all,” Hull said. “I don't support deferring this issue because I don't think the county commission isn't going to fund this project. Several commissioners have stated their position on it. Unless we get behind this project, they're definitely not going to fund it. We need to waive these fees and make a show of support of it and let the county commission know if they fund it, we'll do what we can to meet our responsibilities.”

After being seconded by Ward 1 Alderman Michael Dinwiddie, Mitchell's motion to defer the issue passed by a 7-2 with Hull and Raines dissenting.

“A lot of people are carrying their kids many miles to go to school,” Raines said. “I don't think there's a parent who lives on the Maury County side of Spring Hill that wouldn't want a school somewhere in the city.”

Staff Writer Dan Copp can be reached at dcopp@c-dh.net.

Now, here are some points to consider before deciding your course of action.

* The Cleburn Rd. Site is "technically" inside the city of Spring Hill, although it is on a county owned road, and is harder to reach from most points in Spring Hill than ANY of the other choices INCLUDING the Honey Farm in Neapolis (which is that Columbia site that everyone keeps holding over our heads).

* The road is not being improved by the developer or the County to ANY degree. That cost will be entirely laid at the city's feet to protect those traveling to the site (which would be all children in Maury County). The city will have to improve the road sooner rather than later.

* That road improvement cost will be approx. $3.5 Million. (and it will be placed ahead of other more pressing road improvements in Spring Hill.

* Utilities are on site, but not connected. Connection would involve all of that land from GM that Ken York was trying to condemn. Considerable cost and time still left to finish that project.

* The Jim Warren site is least expensive (especially when the Spring Hill Education Foundation weighs in), more centrally located to the population AND the growth in Maury County, will have all new roads provided at the cost of the developer, could be located near additional recreational facilities (like a future YMCA), and would fit into the Comprehensive Plan that has been laid out by the city and planning commission.

* Have any of you driven from Depot all the way south down Cleburn Rd and Petty Lane to I-31? Go drive it.

Now, what would you do?

Here are the options that have been presented so far:

1.) Decline outright the waiving of impact fees in order to persuade the school board to reconsider, as well as help pay for less than 10% of the impact.

2.) Stay the course. Let the county do what they are going to do. Waive the fees for the school. Gripe about it every time we drive down that road and wonder why we created another Duplex Rd.

3.) Do everything possible to get the school "inside our city limit" and take the road over. Spend the $3.5 million plus to fix the road when we need to and then charge the developers that come into the area to repay our "road consruction shortfall".

4.) Place your idea here...

If you have good ideas (or even bad ones, but good attempts) I will edit this post and add them in. So, for now I will leave this door open to see what you all have to say.

Oh...and one more thing. College football starts TODAY!!!