wrdbrn

Here is a story that just came in via email up date that is the tip of the shark fin.... (Hankster. I am a huge proponet of taking the land that is already dead from concrete and asphalt and making it work. Just in case you haven't figured that out. . Living as close to the source as possible for your needs has always been the best bet. I am the first to say that while I believe that with my whole heart, sometimes I do not get to practice what I preach. ) And now for the story in the City Paper Deleted: Please read the rules. Don't cut and paste news paper articles on this site

This was MY PERSONAL OBSERVATION... but ill try to answer as best I can 1. Was any new information forthcoming? For instance, the 5000 housing units has been published and discussed, but the 80/20 split between gov't and developer is something I've wanted to know. The 5000 unit figure was not released until.. i believe the 13th of February. I participated in the Visioning Meeting and no one there had a clue as to just how many, not that I heard. The 80/20 fed/private split is still federal road dollars. 2. How would a new interchange with I-40 at Annex Ave be anything but good for Nashville West? I'd say a fully developed N.W. requires a local interchange anyway. What was discussed was NOT AN INTERSTATE EXCHANGE as you are thinking... it would be a spur off I 40 go over the greater Charlotte park community and descend into the proposed development.. it was presented as purely an access only to Maytown. So.. If I have my bearings correct. The plan to enable the wealthy to drive OVER Charlotte Park and Nashville West areas at will. The actual exits onto Charlotte will not change. 'Tony' has specifically said he envisions Maytown as a resource for 37205 and the rest of us can just deal... (considering the rest of us... oh never mind... ) 3., 4., 5., 6. The preponderance of the landowners that have adjoining property, and those that have riverfront property all along the bend have been meeting and working for 2 years to make THEIR neighborhood something they want to preserve. Humm... let me see if i can come up with an analogy... My husband, some of our friends and I LOVE to bang on old cars. In my house wedged between 37215 and 37212 on a nice size lot we were LUCKY to get when we did... well our neighborhood wouldn't let me open a fixit shop in the middle of the block. Our neighborhood just went thru a rezoning and conservation overlay process to keep McMansions at bay.... So i have a bit of elbow grease experience in the 'process.' One of the large Scottsboro land owners I talked to rolled his eyes at the marketing theory that proposes another development making all the difference.... his basic position was if a big area of shopping and homes etc was the ultimate solution then 100 0akes, Harding Mall, Bellevue Mall, Metro Center, Fountain Square, Rivergate.... well the all have had more than enough time to work. Note: 'Tony' has several nice projects underway. Let him finish what's on his plate before ... and I say again... he gets to sink his big red steam shovel into the most pristine land in the county. I think the May legacy would be much prouder of preserving a food source than a pile of bricks and mortar...

nashville.gov/mpc "At the same meeting, developers offered an alternate vision for part of that neighborhood; the May Town Center property is located off Old Hickory Boulevard in southern Bells Bend. May Town Center representative Tony Giarratana offered comments on the proposal at the February 11 meeting. We offer the link to May Town Center 's website and Mr. Giarratana's statement entirely for informational purposes; the Planning Department has not reviewed and does not endorse the developers' proposal. " It was also stated last night that the February 26th meeting that is advertised has been cancelled and moved to March. Guests were advised to check the MPC website. as of 10 minutes ago that information was not given..... ( hello hello is anyone here today?)

I was in Charlotte NC this past weekend. I don

Last nights meeting at Scottsboro Community Center was, tedious at best. For nearly 30 minutes the very patient Planning Commission Reps "told the story" that led nearly 160 people to attend. The crowd was made up of Land Owners, Bird Watchers, a couple that had chosen to escape Los Angeles and choose the area because it was rural, The Charlotte Park/Beacon Square area was represented by their Neighbor Association President and 20 riverfront property owners, there were people from geology and forestry, there were reporters and cameras, there were families that represented farm land that had been passed down for generations. Then there was Tony, every one he met he said 'please just call me Tony.' Index cards were provided on which questions were to be submitted. They were all dutifully read and answered; even it was just a brief recap in the instance of duplicates. Then the floor gave way to "Tony" and the process started again. Index cards at the ready. When Mr. G. was point blank asked how many new residences and his response was 5000 - well that was pretty much the flash point. He did say without approval for the "steel bridge that would span the river with out touching it" the project could not move forward. As I personally understood it, the bridge would be connected to I40 very close to the "Costco" and go directly over to the first piece of land that was able to hold the weight and drop into the proposed development. As you, gentle reader; have surmised ... that just added fuel to the fire. (and would obviously not help the new Nashville West area at all.) Points: Planning and Development was asked to begin the 'visioning process' by the residents in the bend some 2 years ago. The visioning information on the planning commission web site is by in large exactly what is wanted by some 690 out of some 700 residents in the bend. Maytown NOT FILED OFFICIALLY with Metropolitan Government to move forward. Studies and Approvals from the Corps of Engineers to the FAA and on and on ARE NOT IN. The studies bought paid for by the developer oh oh ... TONY... are due in sometime in the next 2 weeks. The process of federal approval for funding for the bridge is not even out of the filing cabinet yet NOTE: Mr. G. did say that it would not cost taxpayers anything. He actually said that the Federal Government usually picks up 80% of the cost and the Developer 20%... as soon as he mentioned the FG 80% a ripple of laughter went across the crowd, and a just loud enough voice to be heard said... and we don

Sorry I haven't responded to some of you that have directed questions to me. My husband and I were out of town with our daughter **beaming** as she made her last run at the U.S. Fencing Associations Junior Olympics. (Shoulder injury set her out early but it was a good showing all things considered) Now.. back to MayTown. I am very eager to attend and listen at tomorrow nights meeting. I really really encourage all of you who even just READ this forum to go over to the Nashville.gov Planning Commissions site and read thru everything under the Communities link related to Sub Area 3. http://nashville.gov/mpc/subarea/subarea3dates.htm New Ruralism, Farm to School Projects, and other land uses akin to these types of development have long been the pervasive desire of the majority of land owners. Nashville has to consider bond issues, schools, and using the land that concrete and asphalt has already been poured on to a better advantage, than giving a playground to "Tony G and his shining new Steam Shovel" the go ahead for a project that is so diametrically opposed. I am surprised that the May family would even want their legacy to be tied to such a gross display given their heritage of bootstrap hard work. It is odd that such "old money" would want to be taken in by such "new money" (you may have to be truly southern to understand that concept). Land is precious. The last I looked the universe wasn't creating any more of it in large measure. To be a steward of what we have to the betterment of all communities ..... OH my... I am very interested as you can tell from a number of fronts. No fun being a one note piano... Off to grab a bite, and get caught up at the "office." ~wrdbrn

My concern ranges from the Charlotte Park/Beacon Square Communities across the river, the beautiful tennessee history and ecosystem of the Bend, to the health of Cumberland River herself. Below is a link to the information from the greater Bells Bend area community meetings. Especially interesting is the input from the Visioning Session. The over all development in Subarea 3 (http://nashville.gov/mpc/subarea/subareas.htm) seems to be shaping up as development for developments sake. (The loss of business and lack of schools arguments dont hold much water with me, just so you know.) Nashville.gov has a link to the police department as well with interactive crime maps. The Charlotte Park/Beacon Square area is much quieter than you might think. I encourage you to look thru the information at the link below: http://nashville.gov/mpc/subarea/subarea3dates.htm