wrdbrn

Hello! I have been wading through an MNPS issues for the last couple of months. Can someone answer a questions or 2? Please. 1. Has the Corps of Engineers or the Highway Departments approved a bridge site. 2. Have the geologic surveys of the sink holes etc that seem to be right smack dab in the middle of the project (a big part of why other things of this size have gone away) been presented? I am still reading. And yes rolling my eyes at the urban sprawl-antistewardship-we just have to grow up to mirror Atlanta-Well the rest of the country is doing it static that i read.

...had every intention of meeting you all there. Daughter had a fencing competition at Vandy and I got tied up with getting all of her stuff together so she could fly to her event after work...

Right up there with the Beaman's, Warner's and others. What an incredible legacy. Thank you for at least seeing the score that I am singing from over here.

ME? (again with the flattery **rolls eyes**) The vision for the community of Scottsboro by her residents which they continually try to drive home ... tried to voice is SPOT ON! Development should naturally occur at the junction of Highway 12 and OHB. They have worked very hard on their Town Center concept. A number of years ago an area architect started a Native American Center and PowWow grounds design and concept - oh it was 15 years or so... I have forgotten more than I remember... It was a stunning design. I think that incorporating that in the area near that intersection would be a boon! The idea of having local artisan shops, produce - etc shopping, the list is endless; music venue rather like Leipers Fork; The information from the visioning session at the Planning Commission's site is verbatim what is said at EVERY meeting! All of these things would bring increased property values, retail sales, and measured sustainable growth ... and adds steady money to the coffers without burdening the infrastructure... Who knows - growth may occur. And then the girls from planning ... "in their professional opinion" along with Tony G have to try to sell that dropping a development of some 44000 folks at the bottom of the bend, accessed by a private driveway called a bridge which is in interstate spur in reality ... and not at all connected to the aforementioned community of Scottsboro... FIRST is "better". **sigh** I wonder what they would do with a hillside of virgin timber near Warner Parks? Or a busy residential corner on Belmont

..... I understand there are survey pegs along the easement..... never a good sign. I wonder If Concilman Buddy Baker knows that.

Grapa - Since Divorcing and moving from the Bellevue community in 1981ish (We bought a condo because Bellevue was going to be the next big thing - 1977) I have lived between 16th and Grand ~ and Woodmont/Belmont. My husband of the last 25 years and I raised our daughter ON 16th Avenue. When I say developers are not bringing corporate headquarters and solid jobs to down town ... I know of what I speak. I have never been near a potential landfill, although I fought to keep it out of the bend years ago, just I-440 Noise and view pollution, gun shots, what we affectionately call the DMZ zone in Nashville - where those that allegedly commit criminal acts pass through our community to get to those they whish to assault... , and those terrible inner-city schools that everyone are so afraid of! Propaganda is Propaganda. Developers do not give a whit about our city - either in Historic Preservation (OH! that was Tony G that tore down the Tennessee Theater) ... or in our Rural Heritage - ooops... Tony again. (My college daughter is majoring in concrete engineering ... it gets pretty interesting here during some evening discussions.)

If you were looking at the audience/crowd/land holders last night , the 500 head of cattle comment came from the back right quadrant ... woman next to the wall... If you use up all the farmland.. where will we farm?

Ok guys - 2 nice things in one day.  Level Headed and compared to RL's mom.. I am genuinely flattered. However a level headed mom who knows the right thing for a community may be the single one most powerful political force on the planet We as a group have a track record that is undeniable; If you get us in group - 'Katie bar the door' as some say.... (by the way there are actually a considerable group of us working to stop MTC.... ) The Bend is the wrong place for this development.  Don't think for one minute I have wavered.  In theory I think that Tony's "concept plan" has a lot of merit. They should bulldoze the Bellevue Mall ... well from there traveling..; i think south and get walgreens and all that mess there. Protecting in the same way the the harpeth river and green spaces and then the little corporate developments that need "executive housing" could hob nob and PAY PROPERTY TAXES in williamson county or around the park... its one heck of a lot closer to 37205/Belle Meade, OH and the new PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL **rolls eyes** (who by the way loose at latin, math, moot court, and a few other interesting academic competitions to plain old metro schools at a very consistent rate...) One fine day we are going to need land to grow crops on, they already have a new heard of 500 cattle on the Bend.., and when we have chewed it up ... well frankly I dont want my name to be on the roll call of the apathetic nor the live for today and leave tomorrow to someone else. Ok Committee work project 348.1.b is due before the end of my day (made that project number up up to make a point..)

Thanks Smeag! I don't think that ever in my life I have been referred to as level headed. Guided Missile ... many many times. Don't think for one minute that I have not yelled at everything in my kitchen! My dishes may never be this clean again! Frankly, I could not resist calling the girls from planning on their facts when they said Ashland City would not impact MTC. I had census projections and Household incomes within 5 minutes and let them know it! And the minute I get my hands on what I am looking for... My reputation as a guided missile will be safe... ... sigh I suppose I should work on occasionally being more level headed.

The Article in this morning's Nashville City Paper is a very good recap. FRANKTOWN ~ I would bet my meager paycheck that you are spot on. Smeagol - "that sounds almost cocky like it is a done deal," ~ Tony G. Did not flinch. And when the folks out there found out that the developer has said that the first bridge is only bridge one that another will be needed, the group was so shocked that they could not respond. Hijacked is a more than accurate description. The New very young very polite very well spoken councilman was there. He tried to be centered, calm, consensus building; however I think he might have had an awakening -- not and epiphany -- just an awakening into the harsh realities of public SERVICE. Not one person that is even slightly pro development denied that OHB would be destroyed by the truck traffic of construction. The Charlotte Park Neighborhood Association President was there and planning did not flinch when she asked what kind of infrastructure weight from traffic would be put on Hillwood, West Meade, Charlotte, Charlotte Park, Beacon Square and more... Planning pulled a first class, Oceans 11, Pedro Garcia (former Dir. of Schools who ran before he was fired), heist of the hearts and souls of the Scottsboro Community from Beman Park to Bells Bend. It was appalling. Note - Tony G is approaching landowners in the bend and paying WAY MORE than top dollar for acreage. Through the tears of residents. this information was submitted. Question: does any one have access to the state geology survey done in that area years ago when there was a proposed landfill? Hankster: I have seen the Scottsboro Community dig in before. Remember: Government of, for, and by the people. Not one official document has yet been filed to start this process. Add to the nuances that the are clear cutting and surveying on the interstate easement at Thunderbird Drive, and there is a zoning change sign up in front of the Waffle House where Cabot (? does it change names?) meets Charlotte just a block or so east of Walmart. As to the professional opinion of the young women representing Metro Planning - those that do not know their history are doomed to repeat it. They could not even present a conversation argument regarding economic impact. Many of the things they said hurt their credibility.

OH my - not the point. While I have every appreciation for the stats; as a society we must vigilantly protect American farmland even potential farmland. Everything we do that eliminates petroleum products (gasoline in trucks) from adding to the prices of food and other products is a good thing. Why is this so hard to understand. I am guilty of giving over to convenience ~ everyone is; my personal commitment is to the generations to come, as best I can with the resources I have. Build on existing abandoned concrete and asphalt first. Make what you have work and be a better steward to it... **sigh**

Geeze it is a very busy day. Make no bones about it, I am adamantly against the Maytown development located in Bells Bend. I do think that TG has some interesting development ideas that could easily be dropped into Metro Center or other areas that are already worn with concrete and asphalt. As Nashvillians we need to clean up the mess we have first. Even the folks at the meeting last night need to take more ownership in the overall community. The impact of an increase in Davidson County Residents that flow thru from the "west sector" would be a disaster. Police, Fire, Schools, Roads, ... and then there is the HUGE issue of the Harpeth Valley Water District who would be getting the water revenue while METRO would eventually have to carry the infrastructure bill. Shades of Bellevue all over again. I could rage on about all of the corporates that would be paying little or no commercial property taxes as incentives to "come back," and other bennies and perks. I did take issue with HCA leaving. HCA owns hospitals so I would hope that the bulk of its employees are not sitting at the corporate headquarters near Charlotte Pike and Centennial Park. TG did mention this as a "problem." Tom Cigarran's various health management companies sure seem happily tucked away in Burton Hills... There are plenty of well healed, well moneyed, corporate headquarters doing just fine in Davidson Co. The may not have a gigantic blue collar or union workforce. But they are sitting mighty pretty. The Scottsboro Community, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, understands that development will come and that is why they started the community plan. Natural, planned, growth at Highway 12 and OHB. The Briley Parkway Exchange... these even they expect; and have worked very hard to develop a plan for their community that should be honored. They should be respected and commended for their foresight. Again... I am sorry that the MAY FAMILY ASSuMEd that they could just hire a developer to build a legacy city with in the city limits. Plenty of communities band together to stop commercial spread, McMansions, and to do good things as well (walk bike Nashville right up there on the top of the list.) This is a LONG LONG process. I have been committed to preserving the land in Bells Bend since 1990. As it is said - in for a penny in for a pound. God willing I will be healthy enough to stand for the protection of this land for at least 40 more years. I am almost thru with the laundry... it has been such a nice day to hang things on the line out back!

My take... from the meeting last night regarding the potential bridge placement for access to Maytown that is shown to cross the Cumberland at Cleeses Ferry. At last nights meeting with Council District 20's Charlotte Park and Beacon Square residents Tony G presented Maytown. It took several calls from the crowd to keep him focused on the bridge issue. He is so focused on selling the idea of this development his standard schpiel kept slipping in. Once he started asking questions that were bridge specific the polite crowd turned. Representative homeowners that ranged from Scottsboro all the way to Belle Meade were there to ask their questions. The did not cotton to the idea of writing them down on cards and handing them in. One of the patriarchs of the community said loudly, this is West Nashville; which seemed to mean I am an adult and expect you to answer the questions I ask you face to face. Buddy Baker tried to ask the questions off the cards ~ the crowd tried to comply ~ hot words were exchanged on both sides ~ and everyone tried to apologize for their outbursts, including Tony, and assume a position of conversational tolerance. Tony G did openly say that IF the bridge went in at Cleeses Ferry that first 6 homes would be taken immediately. That the project was 3 stages and by completion a total of 39-40 homes would be taken. He was quickly checked by all of the residents who would then look up at a 4 lane interstate SPUR (No access to Nashville West). Next he did say that after a call from Councilman Baker he asked this team to investigate other bridge sites. He was very open to moving the bridge to the Centennial Boulevard access possibility; and then said in 20 years the need for yet another bridge would be necessary. This idea brought applause and cheers, which made even Tony G.'s shoulders relax a little. And then mutters... about stopping yet another bridge down the road. Numbers. 40,000 ish workers, 900 ish residences, 75 million dollar a year in new tax revenue from property taxes and sales taxes - by project completion.... Tony was very up front about everything being at www.maytowncenter.com. He noted that Central Park in NY had 800 acres and a large number (ok I didnt write that one down) of visitors. And the call from the room was that we didnt want to live in a city like NY or we would move there. The look on TG's face was one that noted he might have not chosen a good analogy. With that he moved to Bethesda Row and another development... Reston VA? Which at least dazzled the crowd into getting back to the subject of the bridge. I talked to homeowners that had grown up on Tidwell Hollow Road and had married and made Charlotte Park their home. A couple had sold their Williamson County home and were headed back to their generational home in the Bend Area of the Scottsboro Community. A couple that had moved from Williamson county into "mom's" house on RiverRouge. All said that no matter the monetary offer that may come for thier homes; nothing could compensate for their way of life; they couldn't by a river front property that was comperable to what they have. The meeting was graced by Senator Douglas Henry. ( And, Mr. Zeitlin was sitting calmly in the back grinning like a Cheshire cat.) At the end of the day the information should have been conveyed that 1. Maytown is in the mind of Giarratana and the May family the highest and best use for the land. 2. The studies are 2 years out and the Centennial Bridge very appealing to Giarratana. 3. Giarratana is meeting with actual homeowners that will be looking up at the bridge starting on the 12th - today. (I bet that it is postponed with the possibility of the Centennial Bridge now in play). 4. The environmental assessment issues have not even started, and depending on the bridge location - other studies have not yet started What Tony G. may not be counting on is the resilience and long memory of the West Nashville community, of the Scottsboro community, for that matter of the Hillwood and Bellevue Communities. This was the first volley in a very long process on the South side of the river... Egads.. this needs a couple of quick edits but I am running late... I will update this post in an hour or so...

Happy Monday! I have had company and to that end I took some time off. Thank you smeagolsfree for noting the impact of some 95,000 workers commuters, shoppers funneling over to May Town thru Hilllwood, Davidson Drive, White Bridge Road etc.; infrastructure on the West Side is not ready to bear the weight. Not to even consider the impact on Schools and other services. Hankster - you really do not understand the need for locally grown produce? Well you probably didn't understand that Florida should not have gotten Jacksonville as an expansion team. Nashville should have been the expansion team and Jacksonville should have paid for their stadium... municipal bond issues are very complicated. Weather it is better to buy tomatoes from a local farmer or from some South American or Chinese farm should be much easier. Grapa - You sound like you are speaking for all of your neighbors. I have been to the meeting in the bend and IMO you present a contradiction to what is presented out there. Now as for the folks on the other side of the river. Councilman Buddy Baker holds a meeting tomorrow night. Yes I will be there. Paying for the bridge. Private? Public? whatever. It will still have to meet waterway standards, which I am using as a loose term for the hurdles from TDOT, Corps, and the myriad of other regulatory agencies. A bridge to a development be cause one man and his developer has an idea is just wrong for the long range development of Davidson County. Off to bring myself up to date on all of the mechanizations of this deplorable snow job by Tony G and his Steam Shovel

I have talked personally to the owners of some 30K acres who have already made such a commitment. It is not unreasonable to want to support them. It is good for the overall make up of the city WE call home. The protection of land that has the potential to sustain all of Us; Our river, Our wildlife, OUR natural resources, Our community, Our growth. Goodness. Have you been to the meetings? The development while perhaps conversationally tolerated out of courtesy is certianly not the desire of the land owners I have talked to.

I offer public apology... my typing fingers got wrapped around my eye teeth and caused me to spout off. That was mean-spirited and unnecessary on my part.

Naturalists are one thing and they do an excellent job of keeping the protection of our resources on the front burner. This thread still ignores the question of where is our local food going to be grown? Has the Corps of Engineers given approval for this bridge? Last I PERSONALLY heard was that the only thing they were willing to approve was ferry access. No bridge no project. There fore the bridge is very important to the topic. Why hasn't Hickory Hollow or Bellevue DEVELOPMENT done any better ... go fix all of those first before you just build something new! Including that crater at 17th and Broadway. For the very breathe I draw I cannot understand what is so blinking hard to understand about better utilization of land already marred by concrete and asphalt. Note: The last stated number is 40 homes, single family owned R-10 zoned homes to be taken on the Charlotte Park Side. A neighboor hood that is 75% generational owned since +/- 1963. Even I can read the nashville.gov maps.

Wow - where did the cut and paste come from?

I saw that a new THREAD had been started. Wanted to make sure that it was included in the MAYTOWN thread. The project was SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED! Thank you to the NEW YORK TIMES for keeping the importance of protecting the land that sustains all front and center! Here is the link to the article (permalink from the NYTimes... comes with a brief advertisement) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/01/us/01cra...xprod=permalink

That is what it looks like to me. (Of course I am just a lowly run of the mill resident you know - not an uppityuck of information )

Sure. Maytown Development in BellsBend is wrong for Nashville. From that prospective, this entire conversation could be considered premature. In the words of the planning department facilitator ... we can have the conversation now or later. The trees... where the bridge begins or ends... Well several of my life time friends own homes that will be effected directly. Even I can sponge on some extra foliage in Photoshop. Just because 2 or three folks here want to continue to shove the concept of expansion/sprawl/development down the computer screens of others doesn't mean that the lowly rest of us should not stand up and be counted. I have tried to as graciously as possible present my thoughts, ideas, report on what I have seen, etc. And the ire that has come back makes it even more obvious that the haves still want to make their name on the broken backs of the have less. I am still seething over the comments about the socioeconomic make up of some of the communitas that will be affected. I have chosen not to even address them Human kind is the caretaker of the land that sustains - and stewardship of that sometimes is the harder battle to fight. NOTES FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION SITE: (hyperlinks not shown) Bells Bend meeting schedule changed The Feb. 26 community meeting on the Scottsboro/Bells Bend Detailed Neighborhood Design Plan has been cancelled to give our planners more time to refine draft plans and respond to questions. Meetings are currently planned on March 25 and April 29; more will be added as necessary. Meeting schedule and map of the area Related Links Responses to questions from the Feb. 19 meeting are being prepared, and will be posted here soon. Agenda of the Feb. 19 meeting Draft concept plan shown at the Feb. 19 meeting Powerpoint presentation from the Feb. 19 meeting Land use policy comparison Draft concept plan from the Feb. 11 meeting Powerpoint presentation from the Feb. 11 meeting The Planning Department presents the links below entirely for information and does not endorse any position or proposal. Developer's proposal for May Town Center Comments by May Town Center representative Tony Giarrantana from the February 11 meeting. Beaman Park to Bells Bend: A Community Conservation Project Tenn. Dept. of Enviornment & Conservation, Division of Archaeology State law concerning removal and reburial of Native American Indian remains

***Tony G said at the last meeting that the BRIDGE would go OVER the Charlotte Park/Beacon Square community. It would be a continuous steel structure. ###Planning has done an excellent job gathering information from all parties. I think that they may need a more experienced facilitator - not that she hasn't done a patient and excellent job. A few Saturday "meeting on the grounds" with opportunities for an open mic with a set time / sign up so that more people can speak would be a very good thing to add to the methodology. The 'Sunday evening prayer meeting' type 2 hour timed out agenda is far to easy to manipulate. It seemed to me, many of the intrested parties at the last meeting felt like they were unheard ^^^He who... Oh. Tony G. Please enumerate those in a 100 mile radius and their track record of the last 15 years. Be sure to include residential property value change, crime, and educational statistics, and the area bond rating. Truly. I am open to the resume. Risk taking - come in land grab make a bunch of money, leave the mess for others to deal with and move on to another project... OMG! That sounds like what Pedro Garcia just did to the Schools in Nashville. "It's all connected." - Karl Dean, Mayor

Tony G said his bridge to Maytown was targeted for the 37205 zip code. And I would be very interested to know where an Interstate Spur that has totally gone over the top of a community as actually increased the value of that property. If you talk to the families in Charlotte Park/Beacon Square many are generational residents with no interest in moving. Lets talk hypothetically about that for just a minute. Lets say that your Beacon Square home can be put on the market today for $235,000. Just where in Nashville would you move to which would put you in a community that even barely resembles the quality of life you have now? Interestingly this is a piece of the same argument that the Beaman to Bells Bend land owners are making...

Items of interest: "Commercial" permits pulled as reported in The Tennessean 2.22.08 Hotel. Value: $27 million. Ray Bell Construction Co. Inc. took out a permit to turn the 15-story office building at 1808 West End. Ave. into the Hutton Hotel. Parking garage. Value: $9.5 million. Ray Bell Construction Co. Inc. took out a permit to build a five-story parking garage with an 11,000-square-foot conference center at 1811 Hayes St. for the Hutton Hotel. Roof repairs. Value: $298,000. Porter Roofing Contractors Inc. took out a permit to replace a portion of the roof at Tom Joy Elementary School. Commercial renovations. Value: $395,000. Tenant Building Group LLC took out a permit to renovate a suite in a building at 565 Marriott Drive for Oreck.

H20 is the slew area further west between the Lowes/Walmart complex and the Waffle House/Days Inn. It is connected to the greenway ... on of the bridge site was there into the bend. Of course ANAIR (Alliance for Native American Indian Rights) was heavily involved in the protections of what is now Bells Bend Park nearly 15 years ago. I do have to work for several hours over the next couple of days so I will read and respond quickly as time and my workload permits!