Announcement

**PogueMahone** · 02-16-2010, 09:42 AM

Re: Spring Hill, TN battles with change

If you read the Columbia Herald article, please also read the comments below it. The best arguments against this new development are the currently stale and declining market for homes (new and used) in the area, the fact that 100% of the neighbors do not want this development, and the road, which is barely wide enough for two cars to pass, will have to be widened and straightened to handle additional traffic.

Ron Shuff, owner of Oaklawn, has been able to rally the community to stop this development in the past and will rally the community again. But we have a new mayor and the city has had to implement a property tax in the past year to cover budget shortfalls and mistakes.

The Saturn plant is currently in "shut down" status and people are moving out of the city. Local developers are leasing houses they can't sell to keep from going bankrupt. Bank financing for new construction is all but dried up and most contractors in the area are doing home improvement work to stay afloat. Locally owned businesses are failing and closing up shop at a record pace. Yet the city is bragging about recent articles naming Spring Hill as a great place to live and I feel certain that they feel they have to back that up with news of new construction.

Spring Hill needs stabilization, not new construction.

**Jon The Beloved** · 02-16-2010, 11:33 PM

Re: Spring Hill, TN battles with change

Joe is completely spot on, here. I hate to hear (or read, rather) the negative outlook on our hometown.. BUT, perhaps the restabilization of the area means that, now more than ever, fresh voices from deep-rooted citizens have more sway? Perhaps local preservation now has a fighting chance.

Thank God that Oaklawn & Rippavilla area properties have not already been ruined. Folks in this hobby have heard of the 'enevidable' encroachment of development on these properties for years now; since before the 145th anniversary reenactment and Outpost events held there. Though I am grateful that these projects are moving at a snails pace, it does shed a glaring light on the lagging local economy. Of course, we do have to chalk some of it up to project feasability and the consequeces of bad planning. Even so, let there be no doubt, Spring Hill can and will bounce back. But, just because things will recover doesn't mean that every legitimate proposal must continue to move forward to avoid a lost hope for future growth.

I believe that a more active civic community, who are commited to an honest evaluation of the task of economic prosperity here locally, is the beginning of a beautiful new chapter for preservation. The money and enthusiasm is there. The last fiscal year alone suprised us with much higher preservation funds from private donations than were predicted. We need only a proper education, an encouraging source, and an outlet to serve. I can certainly commit to this and more. It is ONE of the reasons I do what I do.

Thanks for posting.

**PogueMahone** · 02-19-2010, 12:28 PM

Re: Spring Hill, TN battles with change

Good news! This subdivision has been shot down for a third time by a unanimous vote of the city leaders.

Newspaper coverage locally

Sam Smith, mentioned in the article, is a name I recall from the events hosted there in the 1990's. I believe he allowed event traffic to pass over his land, connecting the Rippavilla property to the Oaklawn property.

**Michael Comer** · 02-19-2010, 01:46 PM

Re: Spring Hill, TN battles with change

That is good news.

What's the latest on the Saturn property? They were going to sell off the surrounding acreage but since the company is going belly up is that still on the boards as a revenue builder for GM?

**PogueMahone** · 02-19-2010, 02:31 PM

Re: Spring Hill, TN battles with change

I'm not certain, it has been a while since that has been in the news. Last I recall, the property around Rippavilla was sold to a developer from out of state, but he never got all the zoning he needed to build and then the real estate market collapsed and the project went silent. They would need a national level bank to finance the deal and none of them have an appetite for it at the moment. Local banks across the board are reducing their real estate exposure at a rapid rate, either through declining new loans, refusing to renew existing debt or foreclosure.

Community officials continue to look to development for tax revenues, but fail to see the short term advantage (fees and taxes) vs the long term disadvantages (infrastructure and amenities that fail). Metro Nashville is currently dealing with several abandoned subdivisions that have partial infrastructures and the developers are literally filing bankruptcy and walking away from them.

**Mike Ventura** · 02-22-2010, 05:32 PM

Re: Spring Hill, TN battles with change

To follow up on Joe's post above, what he describes is right on the mark. One of my companies has provided marketing for builders and developers over the past several years. The business is virtually non-existent today. While the housing development market drove the economy for several years, the financial instruments written by many banks led to the crash not only of the housing market, but of the whole financial system. It will be years (if at all) that development such as the Rippavilla site can find financing.

The good news for civil war land preservation is that land values are reduced and developers are not looking at it right now. Land can be bought for preservation purposes at a much lower price right now.

**PogueMahone** · 02-22-2010, 09:05 PM

Re: Spring Hill, TN battles with change

I had just mentioned this the other day and an article appeared in the Sunday paper about the very topic: abandoned subdivisions in Middle Tennessee

It will be interesting to see if Metro manages to successfully sue local banks to enforce expired bonds. If they do, that will be the end of banks bonding contractors and that will further serve to slow construction.

Announcement

Announcement

Spring Hill, TN battles with change

A Call to Arms! Spring Hill, TN battles with change

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment