Friday, February 16, 2007

Want to know more about the charming little town of Franklin Tennessee?Visit:http://www.franklinkoolaid.blogspot.com
Labels: Our Little Town
posted by Philanthropic_Endeavor at 6:39 PM 0 comments

Visit Tupper's Bloghttp://honestthings.blogspot.com/
Labels: http://honestthings.blogspot.com/
posted by Philanthropic_Endeavor at 6:27 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Dear Mayor Tom Miller and Alderman Beverly Burger:Doesn’t the city of Franklin have a legal and moral obligation to let the public know in advance of any pending plans that will severely impact the quality of life in their neighborhood?We, the homeowners of Country Road in Franklin, are extremely disappointed over the Franklin planning departments’ recent approval of existing building plans for Grace Point. These plans would funnel traffic down our quiet, dead-ended, cul-de-sac. Country Road is a tiny road off of Franklin Road one half-mile South of Moore’s lane. We seven homeowners on Country Road have lived here for an average of thirty years.The present traffic count on our street, Country Road, is approximately 15 cars a day.If the planning departments present plans were carried out; we Country Road residents would be forced to contend with 500 cars traversing our street at least two days per week.The non-profit corporation of Grace Point Church is associated with the powerful, wealthy developers, Haury and Smith; in so much as it was through personal friends within each of the corporations that the quiet transfer of the property’s title took place. None of the adjacent neighbors were aware the property had changed hands. No zoning or Planning Board meeting signs were ever posted on the property to inform neighbors of pending plans. The plans were then placed on the Planning Department meeting agenda to be passed automatically.Those neighbors who heard about the planning department meeting at the last minute and were able to attend did so. Two planning department members opposed the plans. However, having seen so little opposition from the neighbors (who had never been informed) the planning department passed the plans.We demand that our Mayor Tom Miller and Alderman Beverly Burger oppose, reject and block the present traffic routing plans that are due to come before them next week.If our Mayor Tom Miller and Alderman Beverly Burger, allow this present plan to go forward bringing major traffic up Country Road, they will be paving the first step, an irreversible first step, for even worse things to come.Presently, Grace Point’s membership is around 1500. It’s likely their congregation will triple in size soon after their building is erected and their signage is in place. Likewise, the projected 500-car traffic count will also triple.We Country Road neighbors do not want our children, dogs, ducks or chickens crushed under the wheels of drivers coming up our tiny street. It is inevitable that this would happen. This is a quiet street where the children skate. No sidewalks. The ducks and chickens meander peacefully. 1500 new cars and drivers, who are unfamiliar with the nature of the area, entering this street would be disastrous.Realize that the Grace Point property already has an existing, deeded access on Franklin Road that has been in use for several decades. Perhaps Franklin traffic planners could work more closely with Grace Point and Haury and Smith in an effort to bring additional entrances through their adjoining properties, these being, the Brentwood Pointe Development off of General George Patton Drive and The Morningside Development off of Mallory Station. This arrangement would be a better plan for all concerned, as it would bring in more members Grace Point from densely populated, communities adjacent to their property.Brentwood Pointe and Morningside are already densely populated communities. Homeowners who purchased property in these communities knew full well their neighbors were right on top of them with shared walls and lots of traffic. Bringing an access into the Grace Point property through Brentwood Point and/or Morningside would have little impact on the quality of life or the property values of the homeowners in these communities. Bringing traffic up Country Road, a dead-ended, cul-de-sac made up of single-family homes is not a good idea.Moreover, it is our deepest fear that the "powers that be" may be making plans to push through the end of our cul-de-sac, making our street a main thoroughfare.There are 77 undeveloped acres zoned for multi family units directly behind our cul-de-sac. This land adjoins Brentwood Pointe and The Landings. These developments would barely feel the additional traffic were more roads made available to this 77 acres through their properties. However, we Country Road residents who have single-family homes on a quiet street would be devastated if such a thing were to happen. Increased traffic brings, increased litter, crime, air pollution and noise pollution. These are the very things my husband and I were escaping from when we sold our three story, Haury and Smith, condominium overlooking Green hills and moved to Franklin 23 years ago.It's bad enough that the beautiful valley, a virtual wildlife sanctuary, that sits behind our home will soon become a black topped, lighted, parking lot resembling a football stadium at night. We ask that, at the very least, you do not allow the street at the front of our property to be ruined as well.As our elected officials we respectfully ask that fulfill your obligation to preserve the character of our neighborhood.~ Kittra MooreCountry RoadFranklin, Tennessee
posted by Philanthropic_Endeavor at 8:41 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, January 03, 2007

McKay's Mill: 11-16-06 Planning Comission AgendaHey, don't feel so bad, folks. our home sits just off Franklin Road near Moore's lane. Eleven years ago it was still in Williamson County. My husband and I went to then, County Attorney Rick Buerger, Councilman, Newt McCord, Robert Ring, Joe Horn and Bob Adgent, all of whom assured us that it would be ok for us to landscape, plant trees and maintain an old easement that runs between our home and our neighbors home. This was before the City of Franklin annexed us without ever notifying a single homeowner on our street. Our property taxes soon doubled.The 18 trees the county officials encouraged us to plant and maintain all these years now stand 20 feet tall or more. The Franklin City planning department has dictated that the developers who are building in the valley directly behind our home, not use their deeded entrance which sits directly on Franklin Road and has been used for over three decades but must funnel their traffic (1500 parishoners) off of Franklin Road, up our tiny little dead ended cul-de-sac (Country Road). They plan to bulldoze the beautiful row of trees and place the main entrace to the Church's parking lot directly between our house and my neighbors house. Not only will we lose our trees but the beautiful valley which our back deck overlooks will now be a blacktopped parking lot and probably resemble a fooball stadium lighted up at night.Still I do feel sorry for y'all that some of trees that were planted in your neighborhood died. It hurts.
posted by Philanthropic_Endeavor at 11:19 PM 0 comments
Sunday, December 24, 2006

Are you are a Franklin Tennessee homeowner? Do you live in a gated community, on a quiet back street or a cul-de-sac? How would you feel if one day the City converted your quiet street to a main thoroughfare without ever notifying or consulting you or your neighbors?
Living on a main thoroughfare places children and pets at risk, impacts the value of your property and forever changes your quality of your life.
My husband and I and his 92-year-old Mother live on Country Road, a quiet cul-de-sac off of Franklin Road just South of Moores Lane. You’ve probably driven past this tiny street for years and never noticed it was here. To we homeowners living on Country Road, this is a good thing.
We’ve enjoyed this peaceful haven for several decades. Over the years we’ve enjoyed looking out the kitchen window and seeing the deer, raccoon, rabbit, Lynx/bobcat, the red tailed hawk and the giant barn owl. We've watched the migrating Canadian geese land in the tiny pond on the neighboring property outside our back door. We've watched the heron fish. We've listened to the roar of a thousand frogs croaking out their songs throughout the summers night. Each morning, the wild birds sit on the rail of our rear deck awaiting their daily serving of black oiled sunflower seeds.
I’ve witnessed the human population explosion in Williamson County. Still, I'd hoped the pristine paradise at my back door would be preserved forever. I was shaken at the news that a church, Grace Point, was planning to build a three story building in the beautiful wide valley that adjoins the back of our property. The true horror of it didn’t hit me until I saw the building plans. They were planning to utilize an old county easement that sits directly between our house and Mrs. Tidwell’s house as the main entrance to their proposed 26,000 sq ft church. Traffic to this new entrance would be directed up our tiny street, squeezed between our house and our neighbors house and would empty into the churches lighted, blacktopped, parking area directly behind our home.
Back in February of 1996, my husband and I contacted many Williamson County planners asking about the possibility of purchasing the old easement. We'd already maintained the easement from the time we'd bought our home in 1985 but the traffic noise from Franklin road was growing. We wanted to plant trees in order to create a sound barrier. We talked with the County Attorney, Rick Buerger, and Bob Adjent who was the Development Director for the Williamson County Planning Commission and Councilman, Newt McCord. We also consulted Robert Ring and Joe Horn whose positions with Williamson County I know longer recall. All of these gentlemen assured us there was no need to purchase the easement, as they felt certain it would never be used. They encouraged us to landscape the small strip of land saying, “Plant away!” The glorious row of twenty trees we planted now stands thirty feet tall. They are densely populated with birds.
Three weeks ago, a man was standing in our side yard. I asked him why he was there. I learned that he was Mr. Libovitz, the engineer for the Grace Point Church project. He was there to determine how to establish an entrance to the church on the old easement.I asked him what plans had been made to save/move our trees. He said, (and I quote) “You can kiss those trees goodbye.” I recoiled at his choice of words and instantly demonized Grace Point in my mind. What kind of a church would do such a thing? They are swaggering, obtrusive, invaders with no thought of the impact they are having on our community. Did they intend to simply run us over?
Why isn’t this church using the Franklin Road entrance? The Franklin Road entrance has existed for 30 years or more. It was used by the Taylors for twenty years and, more recently, by the Munson’s and their 15 Foster children. No problem.
It hurt to think that our neighbors, the Hiemerman’s, five children would no longer roller blade past my Country Road home. Nor would they ride sleds down the hill at Christmas. Nope. Not with buses full of parishioners rolling straight towards them.
My husband and I had long been scheduled to be out of the country and didn’t arrive back home until December 12, 2006. At the last minute, I tried to rally the neighbors on Country Road in order to protest the Grace Point Church plans that were scheduled to the Planning Departments "Consent Agenda" in order that they be approved without a public notice and without a public hearing. None of our neighbors had heard anything of the meeting before that very day. Some neighbors had unbreakable “events” at which they had to appear. Others were crunching for finals the next day. One was afraid to, “go against the Church” but those who could attend, did so.
On Thursday evening, December 14, 2006, my husband and I and several Country Road neighbors attended the Franklin Planning Department meeting. I was bewildered by the protocol/process and nervous about facing off my supposed opponant, Grace Point Church. Thankfully, my husband, with the guidance of several planning commission members, (Chris Ude in particular) learned that when the Agenda number came up, it was time to stand and say, “Pardon please. We neighbors are none too pleased. We ask that these plans be moved from the consent agenda and placed for a public hearing.”
There was much hubbub and yack amongst the council. A traffic analyst stood to say that he’d calculated a peak of approximately 200 cars going up and down our tiny cul-de-sac on Wednesdays and Sundays. (I later learned Grace Point already has a congregation of around 500.) Two commission members opposed passing the present building plans that would convert our street to main thoroughfare and yet… it passed.
My husband and I were in despair as we headed out the door when a red headed stranger approached. He introduced himself saying, “I am Mark Borders, one of the pastors at Grace Point Church. I am sorry if we have caused you distress and I’ll work with you in anyway I can.”
Wow. Communication. I replied saying, “My husband and I feel the damage of this decision more than anyone else. I am bitter and outraged. Still, I cannot help but feel for you as well. On the way to the Planning Commission meeting this evening, we noticed that not a single existing church along Franklin Road had been forced to bear the cost of widening Franklin Road 50 feet in order to install a turn lane. Why is that?” (In fact, when the Legends PGA Golf Course holds tournaments, thousands of fans attend. They PGA Golf course is a big money maker. Yet, they have not been forced to bear the cost of building a turn lane off of Franklin Road.)
Pastor Borders explained to us that Grace Point had purchased the property with the assumption that they would be able to use the Franklin Road entrance as the main entrance to their church just like all the other churches on Franklin Road. Grace Point wanted their grand entrance on Franklin Road!
It was the City Planning Department traffic engineers who had dictated traffic be routed up our tiny street. The planning department based their decision of an obscure access ordinance within the zoning ordinances 8.1 Chapter 8 saying they had no power to override the ordinance and therefore must enforce it. This ridiculous, indiscriminant, ordinance is already making our lives miserable and lowering the value of our homes. The ordinance needs to be amended immediately or a variance granted.
None of the planning board members live in our neighborhood and their quality of life will not be directly affected by their decision. Though some board members expressed sympathy for the bad situation in which we’ve been placed, it’s their job to enforce the letter of the law no matter how illogical or unreasonable and with no consideration for or whom it may hurt.
The City planning department’s decision has hurt not only us, it has also placed a heavy financial burden upon the church; as they’ve demanded Grace Point Church expand both Franklin Road and the mouth of Country Road at a projected cost of around $250,000. The Church was forced to scale back their plans in order to work within their budget.
This is a horrible tragedy. Neither the homeowners on Country Road nor Grace Point Church want this back street entrance. The $250,000 expense now faced by Grace Point church would feed a lot of hungry people. This money could most certainly be put to better use. It is inevitable Franklin Road will be widened to at least a three-lane road within the next year or two. It simply must happen. What then? Williamson County will bulldoze and redo all the entrances and exits off of Franklin Road. All the money Grace Point will have paid to widen Franklin Road and the entrance to Country Road will be money down the drain. Meanwhile, the quiet sanctity of Country Road will have been ruined forever.
Clear View Baptist church is a large, well established, affluent, church. It sits on the west side of Franklin Road and has two existing entrances at Franklin Road. Clear View Baptist’s southern property boundary aligns perfectly with the existing entrance to the Grace Point church property directly across Franklin Road. The City of Franklin has recently re-zoned Clear View Baptist church and has asked that they move their southern entrance 75 yards to the north in order that it be aligned to our little Country Road. Clear View Baptist’s blacktopped parking area presently extends to the southern border of its property line. It makes much more sense to move their present southern entrance 15 feet south so that the main entrance to Grace Point and the south entrance to Clear View Baptist would be directly across the street from one another rather than funneling large busses and heavy traffic down our tiny dead end street.
If necessary, a traffic signal that only initializes and blinks yellow on Sunday mornings could be installed over the center of Franklin road at the, then aligned, entrances to the two churches on either side of Franklin Road.
The planning commission should exercise whatever means necessary in order that we neighbors who have lived on Country Road for decades are able to preserve our precious peace tranquility, quality of life and home values. Quaintness and serenity are the essence of Franklin. These qualities should be honored and preserved.
Earlier today, (12-18-2006) planning department member Micha Wood (615) 791-3212 x4, told me that any opportunity for the public to address this issue had already passed when the Grace Point plans were approved by the board. He said the only option left us was to sue the city. Then, later this afternoon, city planner Jamie Gross telephone. He said we should write to our Alderman in protest. The Alderman have the power to block the handing-over of the easement to Grace Point which would send the issue back to the planning department for a true hearing by the public.
Please see for yourself. Take a birdseye view of the churches entrances on Franklin road areas on a mapquest aerial map. This will give you a better idea as to how simply the Church entrances can be aligned across from one another on Franklin Road. Then, please help. I hope all Franklin homeowners will join in and write our Mayor and Alderman in support of preserving our quiet, Country Road.
MAYOR TOM MILLERPhone: (615) 791-3217Fax: (615) 790-0469Email: mayor@franklin-gov.com
Alderman, Beverly Burger 1373 Liberty Pike Franklin, TN 37067 Email: beverly.burger@franklin-gov.com
I pray that Grace Point Church, Clear View Baptist Church, the City of Franklin and all Franklin homeowners will take a closer look at this issue. Let us all work diligently in order to iron out these issues before it’s too late. ~ Kittra
posted by Philanthropic_Endeavor at 5:41 PM 0 comments
About Me
Name: Philanthropic_Endeavor
Location: Franklin, Tennessee, United States
View my complete profile
Links
Google News
Edit-Me
Edit-Me
Previous Posts
Want to know more about the charming little town o...
Visit Tupper's Blog http://honestthings.blogspot.c...
Dear Mayor Tom Miller and Alderman Beverly Burger:...
McKay's Mill: 11-16-06 Planning Comission Agenda ...
Are you are a Franklin Tennessee homeowner? Do you...
Archives
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007