Six More Weeks of......
If you trust a groundhog
Sunday was Groundhog’s Day. Many of you out there think of this guy when you think of February 2nd.
Personally I think of this Groundhog’s Day.
If you are not familiar with this movie, Bill Murray is a terrible human that wakes up on February 2nd over and over again. He repeats Groundhog’s Day until he learns a valuable lesson. It’s really funny if you haven’t seen it before. However, here in White House, Robertson County I often feel like we are doing the same thing.
Developer after developer comes to the city/county and tells us the same thing. “Our project is amazing!! It’s going to bring in tax dollars. With all of the rooftops you will get restaurants. We love your community.” We have heard the same thing over and over again. None of it is true, but they keep repeating themselves.
So, here we go. Clarion Homes will be at the county commission on February 24th looking for a zoning change. I’ll refresh you.
The Clarion Homes project is on Calista and Horseshoe Road. They are ONLY asking for 38 lots each with its own septic system. They will widened Horseshoe from 16-18 feet along the 750 feet of their property. According to the equation used by the state to assess how many children will live in the subdivision, they will only be adding 13-14 children. According to their research, it will mostly be retired or work from home residents purchasing the homes in the $500-$800 range. They are asking for R-30.
I’ll be clear on this project, it is exactly what we would have wanted down here on Calista and behind Heritage High School and on Tyree Springs. Thirty-eight homes is a dream subdivision compared to what we have around here. We cannot get caught in that. Stay with me on this one. Once they get that R-30, Frost, to the west, and Fletcher to the north, will be back asking for the same zoning and they will be relentless. They will say how can you deny us when you approved them. Given the uncertainty in the market right now, what if Clarion goes out of business before they start this? Clarion is a small builder compared to Lennar. Clarion promised individual septic and large lots. If they get this zoning and are out of business, the next builder has the R-30 and no agreement for individual septic. We have got to tell the commission NO. Remind the commission that there are still over 700 homes just down that haven’t been built yet. I highly suggest you watch this video about the costs of growth. We are being sold a bill of goods that we might not pay for but the young families that move here down the road will. (it’s 10 minutes and worth the watch) This video also explains why we need a census here in White House. More people means more federal money. (not sure why my tax dollars are going to cities all over the country, but that’s another conversation for another day)
But wait, there’s more.
This is a proposal in Springfield. This is a 3000 residential unit development that is being worked on right now. Why should we care here in White House about a development in Springfield? Well, first White House uses EMS from Robertson County. If this goes in we will need more EMS, that will cost money, and I’m sure the costs will be put on the taxpayers. Can you imagine the stress on the county schools? Using the formula from Clarion, 3000 units times .37 children is 1100 children. That is the size of Station Camp High School. If you have kids in Robertson County Schools right now, you know the situation. Not only will White House need a new school, but Springfield will need several. If you think that the city of Springfield will be the only residents carrying the tax burden on this, I have a bridge to sell you.
What can I do, I’m just one person? Share this with everyone you know. Even if you are in Sumner County, this affects us all. We are tired of the mismanaged growth being shoved down our throats like it’s medicine and we are just ornery children. Email your county commission and my county commissioner and your best friend’s county commissioner. You can find them and call them too. Email your state rep. Mine hates me, so I’ll skip that part, but he might listen to you. Get LOUD!!!! This isn’t over, we can still prevail. I for one have not heard the fat lady sing.
This is a link to the Robertson County Commissioners. Email yours and mine and your cousin’s brother’s dentist.
This is a link to find your state legislator. Email yours and mine. Kumar will probably vote for whatever I’m against, so I won’t waste my time.
Thank you all for being diligent on this. Hope to see you at the county commission February 24th in Springfield for the Clarion re-zone.
OK, I know I tend to be the only one that speaks to “other issues” mostly because ours are now out of school, BUT I do provide needed childcare for my son and DIL because they can’t afford a house and daycare (he’s a retailer, she a teacher in Robco). Yesterday, now I know it was a BUCKET load of rain, but this is what’s happening to our property in Sumner so stop the madness in Robertson if you can. We got so much rain in such a short amount of time, not unusual here, that we have it pouring out of their retaining ponds, not only are they not big enough, they aren’t deep enough either, and by killing off and removing all of the vegetation, this isn’t just a one time event.
Again, we have everyone’s waste (anything close to that flow) coming down the creek bed into Honey Run, flower pots, fence sections, large tree cuttings. Honey Run runs down along Tyree and passes in to these neighborhoods. We aren’t just destroying the creek bed, these builds have re-routed the water because it has NO WHERE to go because the ground can no longer handle what it was set up to do, since we moved in to this property in 2009. I have a drain at the top of the property that is maybe 24” square. We’d need one three times that size to even come close to keeping up.
In 16 years we really only had one issue, that was the 100 years we flood. Now we have BIG issues every hard rain, and disastrous effects on rain like yesterday. I’m a full lock away from these new builds, and every house and neighbor is dealing with the same exact issue. P.S. your retirees aren’t going to able to deal with the amount of money it will cost to fix these issues, so not only will they be forced to possibly find other homes, but the city will lose the value of having them living in the city where in a normal situation would offer a community base with skills, time for volunteering, and financial support. The same as having so many available at prices many can’t afford, that they go rental. Rentals are OK but not necessarily what’s going to pull communities forward. They aren’t always as deep seated in the community as one would hope.
These builds are ruining the entire road system in Meadowbrook, and along Tyree and it will need to be totally repaved, 7 roads now in Meadowbrook alone, and the current drains that are in place by the city since we were originally built in 2005 are incompetent to handle this amount of run off. Nikki I will send you a video just so you can see the madness. Over and over I’m told (we’re told) there’s nothing can be done because it’s not a city issue. What should’ve been done is we shouldn’t have permitted them to strip the land, and then start stacking houses in with HOA’s that don’t plant nor are they proactive, or reactive for that matter. It’s not rocket science.
I hope everyone around these new builds are looking at their own homes with a new perspective. These builders aren’t going to be looking down the road wondering if what they’re doing will have a negative effect on your property. They’re there to make money. Nothing else. When your teachers can’t afford what you’re selling, you don’t have far to look to see a problem coming.
Thanks for the news Nikki, I will forward to those I know up that way for sure. Appreciate you.
I am fairly new to White House. We moved here 3 years ago and live part time in Florida. My question is, do they have impact fees here? If so, how much are the? If not why not? In Florida they have impact fees in some cities that amount to several thousand dollars for schools, fire protection police, etc. which the developer pays to build each house. Of course that is passed on to the home buyer in increased prices.