Clarion Homes Rezone

County Commission Meeting Monday February 24th

On Monday evening Clarion Homes will be in front of the county commission with their request for R-30 on Horseshoe and Calista Roads. As of right now, the commissioners have not received much in the way of emails. Going to a meeting in Springfield is problematic for those of us that live in White House. Many of us have evening activities, and some of us don’t like to drive in the dark on 76. I get it. Please send an email to ALL of these commissioners. I’ve heard rumor that because this project is good, there is a good chance it will pass.

Here is my email.

County Commissioners,

Thank you for reading this email and please consider what I have to say. I know this is late, but this month has been busy for our wrestling family. This letter is in response to the zoning request being made by Clarion Homes.

Clarion has purchased 39 acres from Mr. Graves in November of 2024. Unfortunately for Clarion, they did not do their due diligence regarding projects in the area. They did see that other properties around them are zoned R-30. On Luton Way, the R-30 produced just nine homes over the course of two years. On Calista, across the road from this proposal, only four homes were built. While these are zoned R-30, the lots are larger than 30k square feet. If they had looked further down the road, they may have reconsidered their purchase price and plan for this property.

Starting 1.2 miles from this property are several subdivisions that have been completed or are in various stages of completion. Concord Springs is finished. That development has 152 homes. Moss Farms (Jackson Farms) is approved for 446, not a single home has been framed yet and they do not have completion expectation as of right now. Calista Farms was approved for 308 homes. About five homes are started and they also do not have an expected completion date. The Fields at Oakwood were approved for 234 homes. 134 of those homes are built, and they are expected to be finished in 2028. The total number of homes just down the road from this project is 1140.

The number of homes down the street from the Clarion project are in the city of White House and are certainly not the concern of Clarion. The project that Clarion has brought to the board is a lovely project, and seven years ago may have passed with ease. At this point in time, serious consideration needs to be made when looking at a zoning request. The previous board in White House seemed to look at each project on its own merits. They looked at these developments in a vacuum, and that is how we ended up with 5000 units approved in 5-7 years. White House will be suffering for years to come. This project will add another 38 homes to the already 1140 approved just one mile down the way.

Clarion has stated that their project will not place significant strain on Calista Road and that Horseshoe Road will be their construction entrance. Horseshoe Road is 16 feet wide from Calista to 31W. The only spot on this road that is wider is under I65. Horseshoe is not wide enough for two dump trucks to pass each other. One has to pull to the side of the road to let the other pass. The same stands for work trucks and cement trucks. Clarion is offering to widen Horseshoe by two feet for the length of their property on Horseshoe which is 750 feet. This is like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound. The construction traffic on Horseshoe is already problematic for the people that live there, and this will not make it any better. The two feet for 750 feet will not even be noticeable.

Surely they have told you that their homes will bring in tax revenue to offset any population issues they will be adding. They estimate that their homes will add $110k to the county when they are all built. Just last year County Mayor Vogle told us that it costs $100k to repave one mile of road. A county commissioner in another county told me that cost is now closer to $130k. From Calista Road to 31W, Horseshoe road is 1.6 miles. It would take two years of tax revenue from this project just to repave Horseshoe. My understanding is that residential property is actually tax deficient. Tax revenue is gained in commercial, and lost in residential. These homes will require EMS, sheriff, water, and schools, all which cost the county money, more money than they will bring in.

The elephant in the room is the other developers that will be back with their requests if this passes. Frost Farms is across the street from this property. They requested 276 lots on 176 acres. North of this property Mr. Fletcher came before the board and requested 185 lots on 71 acres. Both of these were denied. If Clarion Homes is granted the R-30 zoning, each of these projects will be back, and will have a legitimate claim to why they should be allowed to build. This is not the responsibility of Clarion, but it is the responsibility of this board to look at the future of Calista Road.

As a community, we are fighting for the very existence of our rural setting. We have lost the battle in White House. Because of the unmitigated growth, the people rose up and elected a new mayor, a new board, and an entirely new planning commission was put in place. I personally can look out of my window at the 1140 homes on Calista. They start a tenth of a mile from me. The small town feel of White House is gone. We are trying to preserve some of the rural feeling here in Robertson County. Please help us by either denying this project, or allowing R-40 or RP-80.

The builder has stated that he cannot afford 2-5 acre lots. With all due respect, his bottom line is not my concern. Our community cannot afford his R-30. The argument has been made that 2-5 acre lots won’t sell and that there isn’t a market. There aren’t any on the market. The house on five acres next to me sold in days, not months. The 85 acres on Bill Moss that asked to be annexed into White House for another SRPUD was denied. They are now selling that property in five acre lots. The people here in the area will not fight you on 2-5 acre lots. We are not against all growth. We are not against property owners selling to build homes. We are against 1100 houses in half a mile on a two lane country road.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Please deny this request for rezoning.

Nicole and Jeff Taylor

County Commissioners

Eric Roberts, Kirt Brinkley, Terrence Summers, Ray Hart, Jeremiah Pierce, Megan Suttle, Tommy Jackson, Gina Hieber, Gina Head-Hieber, Brent Martin, Billy Ray Dorris, Bob Stroud, Steve Haley, Faye Stubblefield, Jonathan Rummel, Martin Morgan, Lee White, Michael Dorris, Stacey Moore, Jeffrey DeLong, Jeffrey Ayres, Darrell Woodard, Bobby Couts, Randy Wilson

eroberts@robcotn.org

kbrinkley@robcotn.org

rhogan@robcotn.org

tsummers@robcotn.org

rhart@robcotn.org

jpierce@robcotn.org

msuttle@robcotn.org

tjackson@robcotn.org

ghieber@robcotn.org

bmartin@robcotn.org

bdorris@robcotn.org

bstroud@robcotn.org

shaley@robcotn.org

fstubblefield@robcotn.org

jrummel@robcotn.org

mmorgan@robcotn.org

lwhite@robcotn.org

mdorris@robcotn.org

smoore@robcotn.org

jdelong@robcotn.org

jayres@robcotn.org

dwoodard@robcotn.org

bcouts@robcotn.org

rwilson@robcotn.org

I cannot get this list shorter, but you can copy and paste it right into your email. Feel free to take any information from my email that you like. Copy and paste pieces. It doesn’t matter to me what you do, just send your email. Even if you plan on showing up on Monday still send an email.

Thank you for your support.