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Showing posts with label Planning Commission. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Planning Commission. Show all posts
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Maury County Joint Comprehensive Plan Survey
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Opportunity
Instead of throwing all of the stones, I will get to sit in the dunk tank for a change.
As many of you know, there is now a "gorilla" on the planning commission. The mayor has given me the opportunity to serve the city in this capacity and instead of throwing all of the stones, I will get to sit in the dunk tank for a change. I am extremely honored by the invitation and will do everything in my power to be an integral piece in holding our city to a higher standard.
Because of this appointment, there are going to be a few things changing a little bit. This forum will still be used for personal opinions on the happening of our city. I will write many of them, some of the other "gorillas" will write more, and I invite you to write as well. Those items that you would like to convey in a post format can be emailed to me at Gorilla_In_The_Corner@yahoo.com and I would be happy to post them as topics for discussion. Most importantly, the views and opinions expressed on this website are personal in nature and do not reflect the official view of The City of Spring Hill.
Much more to come. Enjoy!
-Michael Glass
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Shannon Glen
To all Shannon Glen residents:
I am more on your side than you think, but with your unwillingness to negotiate, you are about to get exactly what you do not want. Here is what is going to happen now:
Your item was pulled off the table because it will not show up again as you see it now. It will never come before the BOMA again, because it will never be a PUD again. The city has the MOST room to negotiate during the PUD process and if it comes before you as a straight zoning (which it will next) it will only come before the Planning Commission. At that level, it meets the zoning requirements and the developer has been known to provide whatever is needed (which is a very good thing for you all) to enhance the project thus getting it approved.
From now on, as long as it meets the zoning requirement, it will be approved. Whatever advice you were given is just plain wrong and in the end it will be to your detriment (if you are against a road and development next to your property). I would be more than happy to fill you in on any of the procedural process from here on out, but unless you get on the stick pretty fast, your moment to negotiate is ending VERY quickly.
Call me a pawn, or a plant, or bought off, or whatever else you like. If you know me at all you know that is just flat incorrect. I was (and still am) after you getting the ability to find a "happy medium" with this development, but your tactics have made that impossible.
Feel free to let me know if I can help, but if I were you I would drop the "all or nothing" approach because you are going to get stuck with nothing.
Be thankful that in the end it is Mr. Gordon's group that is developing this property, because if it were a handful of others you would all be very unhappy in a few months.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Know Your Facts If You Threaten!
So, there are now threats being lobbed around by multiple people since this election. One in particular was made by Mr. Raines at the meeting on Monday night, and it is laughable, so pay attention. With a little bit of basic math, we can all learn what the true numbers are in relation to the Cleburne Road site and its impact on our city.
Now, to catch you all up a little bit, at the meeting Monday night Charles Raines made the statement that he did not understand why the city would be turning down a 6 Million dollar income stream on Harvest Point(impact fees, etc.) for fear of a 2 million dollar road improvement. Well, let's look at the impact fees that the city would collect on 1,200 units at Harvest Point (real numbers), and figure our what exactly they are used to do.
Here we go...
First off, developers are required to pay a variety of fees (which are later passed on to the home buyer). Impact fees are collected to help the city pay for the impact that would be made by that particular development (ie roads, increased police and fire protection, city services, etc.) Our impact fee is collected on a lot by lot basis at $500 + $.50 per square foot. So, let's plug in the numbers.
Let's take an average home size of around 2,000 square feet.
$500 + $1,000 = an average of $1,500 per lot in impact fees.
Now, there were a few over 1,200 lots proposed...so $1,500 x 1,200 = $1,800,000.00
Huh, I wonder where that other $4.2 million of revenue is going to come from? I think if you asked Mr. Raines, he would say water tap fees, sewer tap fees and building permit fees. That will create quite a bit of extra cash, but sadly that cash goes directly to something (like inspectors, equipment, etc) and is not able to be spent on road upgrades.
Now let's look at how this would REALLY impact the city, because a $2 million dollar road improvement is just the start. I guess maybe I am a little confused, because I cannot figure out how exactly $1.8 million over the next 15 to 20 years going to pay for a road in excess of $2 million AND an increased police and fire force (paid on a yearly basis)? That is a $300,000 shortfall in roads and who knows how much in additional city staff and equipment.
The facts just do not add up on this, so please spare me the threat Mr. Raines. Business will not be conducted as usual in this city from this week forward, so please cease with the intimidation and misinformation. We are all (including you) in this for the good of the city, and frankly the only one that was really doing the honorable thing was Mr. Crutcher. I believe he truly wants to do his part to get a school in this city, I just don't believe we are quite ready to put it there. The time to build a school west of the railroad tracks is still a few years away.
For those of you that were not there, two very interesting things happened. First of all, Mr. Crutcher presented the school board with the DEED to the proposed school site. No conditions, just the land, and THAT should be commended. With or without this development, the land is there for the school to use if they so choose. And speaking of that, our school board member Tommy Dudley, and the school board chairman Shaw Daniels both assured the BOMA that they had no problem placing the school on that site with or without a single road improvement.
I am not sure if you heard that correctly so I will repeat it. Mr. Daniels and Mr. Dudley expressed NO concern over that site as it is right now.
So what does that mean? It means that the Maury County School Board needs to stop with the threats about taking a school out of Spring Hill. They now have FIVE school sites located in Spring Hill (or Neopolis) and also have the deed to the site on Cleburne Road that they preferred from the beginning.
No more threats! I am sick of hearing it from Mr. Raines, and I am sick of hearing it from the Maury County School Board.
Put up or shut up!
...as for the other threats, I will get to those later!
Monday, January 29, 2007
Ron DeFrancisco's Letter to the Editor
Okay, I was going to post this last week, but heard that it might get accepted by the Williamson AM. I certainly have many thoughts about some of these ideas, but I will save them for the time being because I wouldn't want to bias the poll included. So here you go...the letter to the editor by Ron DeFrancisco (your Ward 1 candidate).
‘They Paved Paradise & Put Up A Parking Lot’
By: Ron DeFrancisco
The song ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ by the Counting Crows best describes what is happening in Spring Hill today, with lyrics like, “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot, with a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin' hot spot. Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you got 'til it's gone, they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”
Granted, I doubt we will see a pink hotel on R.C. Alexander’s 907 acres of lovely countryside on Buckner Lane, but what exactly is the rush to build anything there? Large lots of open land like this are becoming rare in Spring Hill and what was once a paradise is quickly being turned into a parking lot – see Main Street or I-65 during rush hour.
Realtor Mamie McArthur says that building an upscale mixed use development on this property “will be Spring Hill’s finest hour.” In reality, this will be just another nail in the coffin of a rural and scenic Spring Hill. Our city is already grappling with traffic issues and infrastructure problems trying to support the developments already completed and in progress, and we are now proposing single family homes, townhouses, condos and commercial business on this property. This will only add to the traffic concerns on Duplex Road, Main Street and I-65.
But wait, according to Spring Hill Building Official Ferrell White, “It doesn’t hurt to ask them” to put an interstate exchange onto I-65. That will be great, we will have one more interchange to bottleneck traffic during rush hour and we can all meet up for morning coffee when we park at I-65 and the 840 since that area has yet to be widened.
Adding to this logic, White states “That’s a pretty good site for this (Traditional Neighborhood Development) zoning.” “It allows a little higher density in exchange for open land and amenities.” Right now, the property is all beautiful open land and has no need for amenities, so why build anything? The Traditional Neighborhood Development zoning that is currently under consideration by the Planning Commission allows for 18-24 units per acre and will introduce the once foreign concept of zero lot lines to Spring Hill. We have already populated Spring Hill beyond its capacity to support this population, have approved developments which will double our population again, and plans like this show that there is no intention of stopping, but rather allowing developers to cram more people into smaller areas in the name of progress and profit.
I think it is time for the Planning Commission and the Board of Mayor and Alderman to take a stand and realize that they are allowing paradise to be paved, and if this is not done soon, we will not know what we’ve got ‘til it’s gone. We have plenty of developments already in progress and land that is already zoned for residential or commercial development; we should be using that land first. Re-zoning approvals need to stop being handed out like candy on Halloween night and we need to preserve our open land and rural background while gradually building into the future at a pace that our city and region can fully support.
Now, what do you think? I am going to try to incorporate more polls into the postings to see how those we think about certain issues. Thank you for being our test subject Mr. DeFrancisco!
The daily poll has ended. Click here to view the results.
Thank you for participating!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Things are starting to come together
I hope that everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving!
I am personally very thankful (among many other reasons) that our city has FINALLY begun to shake off some of our past habits and are really starting to look proactively at our city in terms of planning. It has begun to shape everything in our city, even despite the wishes of some. In fact, it appears that even those that have historically been most outspoken against some of these measures are even the ones now making and seconding motions. Good stuff...surely there isn't an election approaching? Nah!
Here is a quick glimpse of what happened while most of us were out of town (and of course a little commentary below).
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Economic Development Council has been formed
The amazing part of this article lies with those that oppose it. Here is a funny quote from the article that you should all enjoy.
"According to Cindy Williams, wife of former city mayor Ray Williams, her husband had set up the commission around 2002, but it had 'fizzled out' after a year when they realized larger companies would move to the city regardless of the commission's work."
While Cindy Williams is correct in her assumption that business follows growth, she is very poorly educated on the types of issues that drive major economic development and corporate development. This commission (in the hands of the right people...jury is still out) can be extremely effective in helping develop the right type of business in our city. This can be a tremendous tool for our city, as can a Chamber of Commerce "in the hands of the right people." Hopefully with the departure of some on the chamber, we can make great strides in improving both.
"Williams said she wasn't sure how much the commission could do for the city. She said larger businesses like Kroger, Target and Publix already know about the values and growth rate of Spring Hill without a group convincing them of it."
'Spring Hill will rock along whether they have it or not,' she said.
Now that is the type of attitude a community leader should have (tongue placed firmly in my cheek)! If we do not promote our city, no one else is going to do it for us. Both counties are beyond poor at promoting our city, and only fight us. I am sure that all of the development in Williamson County was brought about by sheer coincidence...especially Nissan!
Someday maybe people will begin thinking before they speak...
(in some cases, maybe they won't)
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Rec-Center approval
This is very much a needed thing. There are quite a few things that stink in this, but one way or another it needs to be done. Do a little research for yourselves and find out how much all of the other communities paid for their rec centers, etc.
I will save you the time...
Brentwood Indoor Recreation Complex - City of Brentwood Contribution: Land
Brentwood Indoor Soccer Complex - City of Brentwood Contribution: Land
Franklin Soccer Complex - Land
Fairview Recreation Center - City of Fairview Contribution: A big fat 'Thank You'
Bethesda, College Grove, Hillsboro, Nolensville, and Thompson's Station - Freebies
...the other communities don't pay for theirs.
Either way...great development for all of us!
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Spring Hill Hospital / Ambulance
The battle wages on...and I can tell you that it is going to get ugly again very soon. The appeal will not be affected one way or another, but if people at Williamson and Maury are listening the PR campaign is about to get rolling again by the Concerned Citizens for a Spring Hill Hospital.
The amount of taxpayer money being spent on this appeal is amazing! More to come soon.
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Money approved for Master Thoroughfare Assessment and Plan
This is probably the most needed thing that our city has done in quite some time.
We will talk about this at length soon (maybe even tomorrow), but it is a very good thing for our city, albeit late.
By the way, the state is planning to start fixing Duplex very soon! Great stuff!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
A school off of Cleburne Road?
Okay kids...for those of you that have been waiting patiently for your info fix, buckle up because we are going to crank this site back up. The post hospital respite is over and now we can all take part in shining the light on numerous opportunities and challenges within our city.
first up...
A School on Cleburne Road?
Developer: Pete Crutcher, Chapter Two Investments
Land for middle school offered to Maury County
35-acre donation in 'one of the next growth areas'
By SUE McCLURE • Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, 03/22/06
SPRING HILL — A developer has offered to donate 35 acres on Cleborne Road to the Maury County school system for construction of a new Spring Hill middle school.
"We're just trying to be a good neighbor," said Pete Crutcher, an associate with Chapter Two Investments.
"We put this land deal together out here a couple years ago as an investment and having a school here would benefit both the county and us."
The land is located off Beechcroft Road, a half-mile down Cleborne Road on the right, Crutcher said.
The property does not have city sewer and water, but city officials have been discussing extending service out Beechcroft Road.
"That's one of the next growth areas for the city," City Administrator Ken York said.
If the land had sewer and water, Crutcher estimated his 35-acre donation would be worth between $875,000 and $1 million.
Maury County Schools Director Eddie Hickman said he's delighted with the offer.
"It looks like a good site," he said. "Of course, you never know 'til the testing has been done."
Hickman said the new middle school would likely be L-shaped.
"And there's plenty of room for a playground and ball fields," he added.
Hickman said he plans to take the offer to the school board and then approach the County Commission in April to request construction funding.
But, wait… There’s another site being offered, isn’t there?
Homes of Royalton Woods
Shouldn't we consider WHERE the growth is happening in Spring Hill before we start placing schools (not to mention locations of railroads that we will send all of our children across on a daily basis)???
Well...here is a list of the growth in Spring Hill with respect to the two choices:
Subdivisions Approved on the East Side of Spring Hill (Port Royal Road area)
North Meadowbrook – 484 Units
South Meadowbrook – 679 Units
Royalton Woods – 403 Units
Stone Creek – 554 Units
Sommerset Springs – 418 Units
Walden Creek Apartments – 468 Units
Port Royal Estates – 277 Units
The Reserves at Port Royal – 352 Units
Williams Park – 1,100 Units
Total: 4,735 Units
Subdivisions Approved on the West Side of Spring Hill (Beechcroft/Cleburne Rd)
The Meadows of Spring Hill – 675 Units
Total: 675 Units
So given a few facts, we want to put a school where?
Tennessean Article
Here is the process if you want to see where we stand on the issue.
Maury County Schools Property Timeline:
Step 1. Contract (option) to purchase (accept) land is signed by the Director of Schools and approved by the School Board (usually 2 years).
Step 2. Request is made to the County Commission to Fund the Due Diligence Process
Step 3. After Due Diligence is completed, option for property is either accepted or denied.
Step 4. A request for funding by the School Board is made to the County Commission for the construction of the school.
Current School Site Status:
Royalton Woods Site – Step 1 Completed, Option expires June 2007
Cleburne Road Site – Step 1 is current being negotiated
Other Options Currently Considered:
Build new High School; convert existing High School to a Middle School.
Approach GM for additional land near High School for a new Middle School.
Extend Royalton Woods site and accept Cleburne Road site for new Middle School and future High School.
Contact for Maury County School Board:
Tommy Dudley - shal1983@bellsouth.net - 931-486-1983
Friday, September 01, 2006
Coming Soon...Family Dollar or Big Lots in Campbell Station
Okay, raise your hands if you would like to see Campbell Station add a Family Dollar or Big Lots in the place of Kroger?
Kroger leaving Campbell Station?
The good news? Sounds like Kroger hasn't made a final decision yet, which means it may not be too late to make a difference...
What can you do about it?
Contact Kroger:
Misti Mager - Misti.Mager@Kroger.com
Misti Mager
Kroger Nashville MSA Real Estate
2620 Elm Hill Pike
Nashville, TN 37214
Melissa Eads - Kroger-Nashville Spokeswoman (615) 871-2500
This has been rumored for quite some time, but it appears that "now" is that time. Kroger is in the process of moving forward on plans to leave their location in Campbell Station (a building which they own) to rent a new space in Thompson's Station next to Tractor's Supply, CVS, etc. This would be a horrible mistake for BOTH Spring Hill and Kroger for many reasons that we will try to cover fully in a second, but first a little background.
* Spring Hill's Contentious History With Heritage Commons - Oh how soon we forget...
Parents Keep Eyes on Heritage Commons - February 15, 2001
Shopping Center Becomes Spring Hill Political Issue - March 15, 2001
Heritage Parents Vow To Pursue Influential Ears - March 16, 2001
Heritage Commons Approved Despite Ire - March 17, 2003
Inventor Defends System Likened by Mayor to 'Hog Farm' - August 5, 2004
Heritage Commons Proceeds with Alternative Sewer System - August 19, 2004
* Tax Dollars - We can ask the city what the actual payment is, but I would suspect that Spring Hill takes around $1 million a year in state-shared tax revenue from the Kroger location in Campbell Station. Family Dollar, Big Lots, or Trees and Things will not quite cut it.
* Ownership - Kroger owns the Campbell Station store property, so they will rent it out to another "non-grocer" friendly to Kroger brands. In the recent past, that has been Family Dollar, Big Lots, etc.
* Thompson's Station - Currently the population of Thompson's Station is around 1,500 people. I know, many of you have a Thompson's Station zip code and address, but I assure you that you do in fact live in Spring Hill. You vote in Spring Hill elections, you are covered with Spring Hill water and sewer service, you are covered by Spring Hill police and fire, and on and on and on - all services paid for by Spring Hill state-shared tax revenue. Campbell Station, Pickett's Ridge, Cameron Farms, etc are all in Spring Hill... not Thompson's Station.
For Kroger, moving the store to this new location will have a large effect on their "start up cost" and long term success.
1.) Higher impact fees in Thompson's Station (2x the impact fees of Spring Hill)
2.) No Spring Hill sewer, you will get to use the new Schaeffer system soon to come online in Thompson's Station (with Sewer Tap Fees that are over 4x that of Spring Hill)
3.) No Spring Hill police department protection. If there is a problem, you will be placed in the Williamson County Sheriff queue.
4.) No Spring Hill fire department protection. (note above statement)
5.) No city property tax in Spring Hill
6.) Tax revenue going towards Thompson's Station instead of Spring Hill. Spring Hill residents might decide to spend their money somewhere else.
7.) They (Kroger) are trying to capture residents as they enter Spring Hill from HWY 31 headed south from Franklin. If that is the case, who is going to capture them first, Super Wal Mart, or a Kroger placed off the road next to a school? Ever sit in traffic waiting to get in and out of Heritage Campus during school rush hour?
Ok, back to the article...
Kroger is considering a 12-acre site in Heritage Commons, Kroger spokeswoman Melissa Eads said...
A developer contacted Kroger about the possibility of locating in Thompson's Station, Eads said.
"He presented this site to us and it is one of several different opportunities we are considering," Eads said. "We are still in the exploring stage, but we want to be able to serve the rapidly growing population of Spring Hill in the best way possible."
Um, how does moving an extremely profitable Kroger from Spring Hill to a neighboring community "serve the rapidly growing population of Spring Hill in the best way possible"? Doesn't it only serve the developer who desperately needs an anchor store for an eye-sore of a development (a developer who promised to keep a tree line in between the development and the school... where's that tree line now?), and the city of Thompson's Station who will capture all of Spring Hill resident's tax revenue?
The article continues...
Kroger has already announced plans to build a new store on Port Royal Road in Spring Hill.
Note to Kroger: If you don't build on Port Royal Road, there's another grocer (namely Publix), who would love the opportunity to do so...
What is Kroger thinking?
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
New School Site?
A week or so ago (overshadowed by the hospital decision) Maury County announced a possible new middle school location on Beechcroft and Cleburne Rd. Now why in the world would Maury County be looking to place a new school on the opposite side of the city away from all of the future growth and development? Not only that, but why would the county be looking at placing a school next to a railroad track (on a fairly dangerous road with no shoulder) when there is another much more accessible option that would include a possible YMCA, in the middle of all the expected growth, on the southeast side of the city?
Let's look at a few items driving growth right now in Spring Hill:
1.) New Spring Hill Hospital
2.) Development on Port Royal Rd, Saturn Parkway, and along I-65
3.) Big Box stores and commercial development along 31 down to Saturn Parkway and east along Saturn Parkway.
4.) Commercial and Residential development along Duplex Rd.
It does not take a lot of high level intellect to see where the future growth is going to explode the fastest (thus creating the most need and long term usability for a school). So can someone tell us why we are looking to extend sewer etc. across a railroad track for a school only to add thousands of drivers to an already unsafe road. And in those cars, on an unsafe road, we are going to place all of our middle school aged children. This doesn't make much sense at all to me.
I think our newly elected Maury County Commissioners and School Board Member (Evans, Farmer, and Dudley) need to get involved from day 1 to secure the best available site for this middle school.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
No money for a planner?
If you have not yet read the Journal of Spring Hill and Thompson's Station you might find it very interesting.
City ponders its future look
by Sue McClure
SPRING HILL - What will Spring Hill look like in five years?
Will the city have a theme?
A public square?
"The population of Spring Hill could possibly double in the next five years," Alderman Domingo Gallardo said at a recent work session. "So we need to think about how far out we will go with commercial developments, how close those developments should be to residential neighborhoods, and things like that."
Spring Hill's future look may be in consultants' hands
by Sue McClure
City Administrator says no funds available for a city planner.
SPRING HILL - Aldermen want to formulate a clear vision for the city, so they have decided to form a committee and use a consultant to help them work out the details.
Alderman Domingo Gallardo initiated discussion on the city's future at a recent work session, saying the city needed to think about what it wanted to look like in five years.
"The population of Spring Hill could possibly double in the next five years," Gallardo said. "So we need to think about how far out we will go with commercial developments, how close those developments should be to residential neighborhoods and things like that."
Mayor Danny Leverette agreed, saying the city needed some help from an expert.
"I think hiring a consulting firm to give us some recommendations would be a good move," he said. "Having a common plan and a buffer standard will take some of the debate out of it."
In recent months, aldermen and planning commissioners have received increased citizen complaints over commercial and high-density residential developments moving into their neighborhoods.
Leverette had originally suggested hiring a city planner, but that idea didn't receive much support.
"We don't have the internal resources to allow for a city planner," City Administrator Ken York said during the February work session. "The best use of city funds would be to go the consulting route to draw a master plan."
The board discussed using the consulting services of Dempsey, Dilling and Associates, since City Engineer Jerome Dempsey has been associated with the city since 1986.
"No one knows the city better than we do," Dempsey said when told of the aldermen's discussion, "And, it's a good fit."
If the city chooses to go in that direction, Dempsey said he and his partner Brad Dilling would get to work, meeting with committee members to develop a base map with overlays showing the various commercial and residential zones throughout the city.
"We are ready to go on it."
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One piece of advice...If you do not feel that you have the resources necessary to hire a city planner to create a city plan, why did the BOMA vote to spend huge sums of cash long term on the 100% retirement package?
Why are we not looking at raising our impact fees to a level comparable to our surrounding cities?
Food for thought.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Just because you can doesn't mean you should!
Another very interesting Planning Commission work session, so I will run down the highlights for you all.
* Item #4 Consider re-zoning the Brewer property located at the corner of Port Royal Road and Duplex Road. This is an 86.40 tract with 54.4 acres in Maury County on Tax Map 28, parcel 6 and 32 acres in Williamson County on Tax Map 167, parcel 21. The owners is requesting that 11.5 acres be rezoned from AG (agricultural district) to B-4 (Central Business District) and the remaining 74.90 acres be rezoned from AG to R-4 Residential District (High Density).
For those of you that do not already know this, the corners of the street that are on the Wyngate Estates side of the street are already zoned commercial. At some point 3 of the 4 corners are going to be some sort of neighborhood commercial. This is the first development to come through the planning commission, and I believe that it has a good chance to set the tone for all of the other developments in the area. It is developed by GBT Realty. They also have done a few other fairly high quality developments in the area, one of them being the Target development on I-31 and Mack Hatcher Parkway. Debate amongst yourselves, but I think that this might be a pretty good thing.
* Item #5 Consider rezoning 2.4 acres located on Buckner Lane from R-2 Residential District (Medium Density) PUD to B-3 (Intermediate Business District). This property is found on Tax Map 166, Parcel 1 in Williamson County. This property is owned by Donnie Cameron.
Some of the most vocal debate of the night! A petition was presented, and citizens came out in force, some even lecturing Donnie Cameron on the second row. It seems to me like there is another shoe that is about to drop on this one. While Mr. Cameron states that he only wants a sub stop and dry cleaners in this “Strip mall,” I can’t get by my feeling that there might be something else in mind. Is it really worth ticking off the surrounding community for a dry cleaner and a sub stop? How far is this site from sub stop, dry cleaning, and pizza central….2 minutes? Very fun debate and it will be interesting to see how the BOMA rules on this one. I have a feeling that the Planning Commission could vote it down, and the BOMA will save it in the end. If you are truly concerned about this, now is the time to light up some phones, attend meetings, and send some email.
* Consider Goodwill Retail Store (site plan). This is a 2.50 acre tract, lot 20 of the Campbell Station Development. This is a 23,794 square foot building.
A few concerns from the Commission, and it looks like there could be a vote to defer this item for a month until a few items are addressed. Overall this looks like a pretty nice building. The one concern from the community seems to be that this will also be a training facility. I don’t know exactly how I feel about this, but after seeing the plans, my concerns have been eased a little bit.
* Consider Port Royal Mini-Storage (Preliminary Plat). This is a 3.25 acre tract with 10 one story buildings and one 3 story building.
Why!? I don’t understand this one. If you were going to build a mini storage that backs up directly with a neighborhood, what would be your building material of choice? I don’t know about you, but I think I would pick metal siding and a chain link fence? Huh? If this is not upgraded in a hurry, it will go down in a blazing fireball by the Planning Commission. And if you were going to build a 3 story climate controlled building that is along the front of the property and Port Royal RD, would you show a large brick box with absolutely no detail or windows?
I don’t understand, and I guess I never will. Some of the developers need to take a little more pride in those things that they choose to develop. Just because you can doesn’t mean that you should. Give me a break!
* Consider Red Top Commercial (Preliminary Plat). This is a 66.822 square foot office retail space with 31,000 square foot of storage buildings.
A few concerns about this one, but overall it seems that most of the Commission’s concerns were addressed. I would assume that this will pass with a few minor adjustments. The cemetery behind this property will have a separate access road and will not have to be accessed through the development.
* Consider Harvest Valley Subdivision (Preliminary Plat). This is a 64 lot, 20.04 acre development located on Denning road.
Absurd. Nothing like putting 64 lots on 20 acres in the middle of a historic neighborhood that only consists of about 10 houses. The citizens came out in force, with a petition, while sitting through a long meeting to stand up in opposition to this one. I wonder if this would have ever happened had that Historic Commission passed a few months ago? Homework:
Before I go into this issue in any more depth, I challenge all of you to go visit a certain historic site on Denning Ln. and tell me if you think that a 64 lot development will fit in with this area. The first one to answer back with a picture and an opinion will win a cookie at the next BOMA meeting.
Just because you can, doesn’t mean that you should!
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Planning Commission...Why do we need it?
So, to another item that will be on the agenda Tuesday. In effect this ordinance is asking "Why do we need a planning commission?"
The ordinance up for a vote is one making all changes to the subdivision regulations by the planning commission subject to approval by the BOMA. In essence, this would take all of the teeth out of the powers of the commission thus begging the question...Do we need a planning commission?
I could understand the need to replace the commission if they were allowing construction and development that was of a lower quality than the city and elected officials wanted. In that case the board would be able to approve regulations that are more strict than the planning commission thus making the standards higher. That is in fact not the case.
This is an attempt for the BOMA to "water down" the type of information that comes before the planning commission. It was all sparked by the planning commission approving a subdivision regulation that required a section in the plans (for the development) that showed the location of trees on the property. There is not an issue of cost and there is not an issue of time. This is an issue of developers not wanting to say out loud that they will be disregarding the existing landscape, and bringing in the bulldozers.
Let's look for a second at what the planning commission goes through on a regular basis, and then see if we want to add that workload to the current BOMA.
* Review of all new development that comes into the city. This includes sewer, drainage, landscaping, sidewalks and walking trails, building materials, etc
* Basic planning and recommendations on zoning changes.
* Signage on buildings.
* Providing city services to the effected site.
* Blending of commercial development into residential development.
* etc.
Now, does the BOMA really have time to add another 5 hours of meeting time to their schedule not to mention prep time and education? And if they did, do we really want to take this job out of hands with a certain level of expertise and add it to a group with a very diverse background?
Leave the planning commission alone. If their regulations are not strict enough, you can always strengthen them. Not to mention, the board would be reduced to 8.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Planning Commission Work Session
Good Morning Everyone!
Planning Commission work session took place last night at 5:30 so I thought that I would provide you with a few notes. Please ask questions and I would be happy to explain, research, or look into anything that needs further development. Use this as a site to exchange ideas, not just read. I am noticing that most of the traffic is reader only, and I would love to see this develop into a great discussion on issues.
Okay...away we go!
Issue #1
TANYARD SPRINGS........WAKE UP!
Anybody remember the AutoZone development? Next week the planning commission will be voting on the first phase of the strip mall that will occupy the lot north of AutoZone. This is a commercial zone, and the development will be built with or without your consent, but you do have a voice in the quality of the development. Phase one is Saxby's coffee and will set the tone both in landscaping and building materials for the entire development. Currently they are proposing a red plank board material with manufactured stone accent beams etc. The building is quite modern and really quite nice (other than maybe the building materials), but if you have issue with this now is the time to let your opinions be known. After the approvals are stamped you really have very little say in the matter. Several on the board have asked Saxby's to use brick instead of plank board, and rock instead of a concrete looking material in an attempt to blend this development into Tanyard Springs. I also really like this idea, but in the end I do not live in Tanyard Springs. What do you think?
Issue #2
Wyngate Estates walking trail and playground.
The developer of Wyngate has come back to the board with plans for approval of the final phase of the Parks section. In this phase they are looking into options for a walking trail connecting the creek area to the future playground. Previously the trail was to go between houses at certain points to connect the neighborhood to a wood chip walking trail that would run across the creek to a wooden bridge etc. Now as you might imagine, in a flood plain, wood chip walkways and poorly constructed wooden bridges would not exactly cut it for the long term plan of the neighborhood. Well, luckily for us all, our voices were heard and the developer has come back with a solution that does not bring the trail between houses. It is constructed of rock and asphalt with a concrete bridge with rock facing. It seems to be a much better plan, with much more attention paid to the details by the developer. It would also seem to be a step in the right direction in finishing the playground area promised earlier in the neighborhood development. We need to show up to make sure that this latest plan is in fact this the one approved. If the paperwork is not filed in time by the developer (Thursday at noon) the plan that will be up for a vote is that of wood chip and poor planning. Show up and let your voices be heard.
Issue #3
Somerset Springs Townhomes on Port Royal Road
Another issue of much debate over walking trails throughout this future construction. The developer was not present, but Gary Martin (of Martin Engineering) was on hand to address concerns. It seems to me that the developers of these neighborhoods are far more interested in throwing up the cheapest possible construction and not always taking into account the future needs of the neighborhood.
This path that is being debated is described by the engineer as a "nature trail" and thus should not be made of rock and asphalt. It just so happens that this "nature trail" weaves in and out of a good portion of the townhomes and leads to the pool and recreational center. It also just happens that constructing this trail out of rock and asphalt is about 4 times more expensive than crushed rock.
Leading to my next point.
Issue #4
Design Standards for walking trails?
This planning commission needs to propose design standards for builders to follow when constructing walking trails for neighborhoods. The majority of Spring Hill developers are in the business of throwing up the absolute most inexpensive solution necessary. We need to bring our standards up a few notches so that the base line of construction that developers shoot for is still at a reasonable level for neighborhood use. If we do not set design standards for walking trails, we will have this debate every time at every meeting until Spring Hill is completely built. I am tired of corners being cut at every turn. There is still more than enough money to be made in building quality. In fact......I would argue that there is more money to be made in quality.
That is all for now. Get involved!
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
City Planner....City Plan.....What is that????
Okay everyone, get out your markers. Here are a few of my thoughts on the subject: * How about planning a large park, maybe in conjunction with the tennis court park that is already planned. How about including sidewalks.....or better yet.....walking trails that connect neighborhoods, greenbelts and parks. * I have heard a lot of talk about a municipal airport in Williamson County. What about one in Spring Hill? I don't know what I personally think about the issue, but I would enjoy a little bit of discussion on the topic. * I have heard quite a bit of talk about a mall, but it does not seem that anyone has taken that into account when considering neighborhoods. The site that I have been directed to as the proposed mall seems to be flanked on one side (so far) with neighborhoods. I wonder how they will feel when a mall is proposed literally in their back yard. I guess we could ask Tanyard Springs what they feel about an AutoZone being placed in their back yard. Again, does there seem to be a rhyme or reason with the current placement of neighborhoods and commercial districts. * What about incentives for private business to create a downtown district? How nice would it be to park in an area and have walking access to a number of stores, restaurants, etc. Again, we have a blank slate here, all ideas should be on the table. Frankly I could go on all day. In our current situation, with our current city administrator and BOMA, we will really enjoy our urban sprawl in years to come. Nothing better than a shopping center in everyone's back yard because there was not a plan to be found in the early stages of the city. Stand up! Speak out!
Let's take a look at the current zoning map of Spring Hill. Remember, we are growing so fast that this is out of date every month. We are annexing land quickly on the east side of I-65, so I am not sure if the map will ever really be close to "up to date." I have scribbled in the east side of I-65 to show the general idea behind our future growth plan.
Anyway, promises made by Danny Leverette in the most recent campaign seem to have been "forgotten." We are currently in a process of building a beautiful array of track homes as far as the eye can see. We will also soon be able to shop at Target, Lowes, Home Depot, etc. In all of this commercial convenience, do we have a plan for creating anything for those that would like to enjoy some of what brought us to Spring Hill in the first place?
Here are a couple of maps to look at. Feel free to click on them to enlarge. Get out your pencil and scribble in what you might like to see in this city, before it is entirely built.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Issues - Planning Commission
Issues relating to The City of Spring Hill Municipal Planning Commission.
Planning Commission Issues
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Work Session - 1st Monday of Every Month @ 5:30 PM in the City Hall Conference Room
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