The Harsh Reality

When you let the kids run the city

Earlier this month I attended the state of the city address presented by the city administrator. The numbers that he threw out were pretty staggering. The numbers are something we have been talking about over here for a while now. In fact, those numbers are the reason I started writing this Substack. Before I continue, I’m going to say this nice and loud for the haters in the back…….NEW PEOPLE ARE NOT THE PROBLEM!!!!!! You didn’t ask for these houses to be built, you just moved into the houses the developers put up. What I’ve heard from many of you is that ( put new neighborhood in here) was the only option you could afford, or that was on the market at the time. This is purely about the numbers and the absurdity of what has been done to our city.

The 2020 census had White House at 13k people. In the state of the city address, we were told that in 2023 we have added 3,329 people. That is a 26% increase in population. Put that in perspective. Nashville’s population in 2020 was 689,447 people. If they grown at the same rate we did, they would have added 179,256 people. They didn’t. In fact their growth was actually a loss. The population of Nashville decreased by 0.8%. Nashville has had White House style growth before. I can only imagine what it was like here between 1810-1820 or between 1960-1970. I’m guessing the building and water treatment codes in the 1800’s weren’t quite what we have now.

Let’s go to the projected growth. In the address, we were told that there are still 3117 single family units left to be built, and 1290 multifamily units. That doesn’t mean 1290 apartment buildings, just 1290 actual apartments. These are the units that are already approved. 4407 new units still left to be built. That does NOT include what has been built in the last 3-5 years. Given the number 4407 times 2.8, the average population per unit, that gives us an increase of 12,339 people to get us to the number below.

The number that is off is the one above. It will not take 8.6 years to get to 28,668 people. The number in this slide is ONLY the single family homes. At 361 homes per year, it will take 8.6 years to get the 3117 homes built. However, that does not include the multifamily homes. The 1290 units are going to be finished before that 8.6 years is up. If you drive down Sage Road, you will notice that Sage North is nearing completion. If you drive down 76 toward 31W, you will notice that The Mill isn’t far behind Sage North. Sage North says they will be renting in November.

The city believes it will be spring before they are renting at Sage North, and fall before The Mill is open. Either way, they will both be open and renting in the next 12 months. Our population increase by 3k in three years, a 26% increase. If each of these sites only has 100 units, that is 200 units times 2.8 people. That is a 3% increase in 12 months. There are more than 100 units, but since the development tracker for the city does not list those, I can only guess. Add the 361 houses for the year, and we are at 561 units for the year and 1,570 people for an increase of 9% in a year. 3% is possibly doable, 9% is crazy.

Let’s go back to the total population in 8.6 years. 28,668 is the total if all units are built. All 4407 units. That increase is 76%. We are looking at a 76% increase in population in the next 8.6 years. That my friends is why the natives are angry.

White House has seen this type of growth before. 141% increase in 10 years is pretty nuts. I can only guess how the residents felt back then. However, the growth slowed to a more reasonable pace. 42% in ten years is high, but it was over ten years. Notice from 2010-2020 the increase was 26%. We have now had the same growth in only three years.

Why am I even pointing this out? A couple of reasons. A 26% increase in people means a 26% increase in traffic. (I would argue it’s worse, but I don’t do traffic studies) There is an increase in complaining about the roads, the traffic, the schools, the lack of restaurants (I still don’t get that one, but I’m a home body), construction noise, and city issues. What I want people to understand is that this is going to get worse. The 76% increase is still coming. (unless inflation gets us all) Traffic will get worse. There will be more construction projects on the roads. Pleasant Grove and 76 stoplight, Tyree Springs and N. Palmers stoplight, Raymond Hirsch Publix entrance stoplight just to name a few. The growing pains will be pretty severe. The pains will be more like the ring of fire than a few aches in your calf from growing a couple of inches. (ladies am I right?)

When you complain on HIP White House, and you will, I encourage you to find out who created this mess. It’s not your neighbors. I guess it sort of is if you live in a new subdivision with 1100 houses. We had a mayor and a board of aldermen that were handing out rezoning ordinances like you hand out Halloween candy. You get a rezone, and you get a rezone and you get a rezone. (Suburban Residential Planned Urban Development- higher density subdivision)

When you are sitting in school traffic in front of Woodall, maybe it’s time to write your school board. The city annexed and rezoned, and the county is frozen like a deer in the headlights. Haven’t yet seen an announcement about a new school over here even though the elementary school is in portables. The city has ZERO to do with building new schools. They can annex and approve new houses, but pass the school problem on to the county. Pretty sweet huh?

Your new board of mayor and aldermen are on clean up committee. You know, like when your kids have messed up the kitchen for 17th time of the day and finally Mom has to come in and fix it? The clean up this time will mean taking everything out of the closet, sitting it in the middle of the floor, and sorting and cleaning. The mess is HUGE, but when it’s done the closet looks good. We have years of construction and cleaning ahead. We can bitch and complain, which there will be a lot of, or we can support our new board in the task they have ahead. My faith is in the Lord, not this government. But I have hope that they will do the right thing. Besides, if they don’t, 2026 will be a repeat of 2022 and “we the people” will see that they are all replaced with persons willing to do the hard things and make the grown up decisions.

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