What Does It All Mean?

And elections have consequences......Another opinion piece

The planning meeting was actually fascinating on Monday. The questions asked of the designer were great. The proposed project is MASSIVE!!

This is an enlarged photo of the project. Notice that Raymond Hirsh will be widened from just north of Applewood Drive to 31W. That’s great, except for the fact that they will also be working on Raymond Hirsh and 76 to accommodate the Publix and their retail space. The designer did say they would be on the heels of Publix, but we don’t know exactly what that means. The entire area could potentially be torn up for a couple of years. That will be fun as they reroute freeway traffic for accidents and construction. I know, growing pains are just that, pains.

Let’s get to the heart of the issue here, the residential building. Commercial space is not a problem. I personally do not need another restaurant. I’m old, I don’t eat fast food, and I’m too cheap to eat out very often. The husband and I love Tavern 76, and either Monday or Wednesday are there enjoying a cheap date night. The city is growing, and the masses are crying out for amenities. This project provides more commercial space, another gas station, and what everyone needs, another McDonald’s. The only down side to the commercial aspect of this project is that most of the town is or will be torn up in the coming months. Again, growing pains. The residential is the issue.

First and foremost, we haven’t even felt the hit of what we still have on the books. We are still in the beginnings of birth pangs, the ring of fire is still a couple of years out. As of the first of the year, there were more than 5000 units approved in the city of White House. That means 5000 homes, town homes, and apartments. Some of those are built, some are started, some have just broken ground, and some still need the weeds cut down. The election of 2022 was a BIG slow down to the city. People who have lived here all of their lives, 20+ years, and even 5 years said “Wait a minute. You can’t double the size of the city in 10 years and expect us to take it.” The entire board was changed. The only member of the old board, and the single no vote in the big subdivisions moved into the role of mayor.

So, let’s look at these proposed residences in this project.

1. They are sandwiched between the Publix retail area, and the new retail area. The new area might get a doctor’s office, or a bakery. It could be a coffee shop, or a vape shop. The developer said GoodWill is interested. Would you pay for a town home stuck between GoodWill and Publix? Maybe in a large city where you could walk a little farther and have things to do. White House? Nope. No one will buy these, they will be rentals.

2. The designer kept talking about how this would be a “walk-able community.” Look up 15 minute cities if you feel like going down the rabbit hole. If I need groceries for more than dinner, I’m not walking. Sure, I might walk the green way, but once you add these town homes on the green way, it’s not so green any more. Cope’s Crossing, Twin Springs, and the Reserve at Palmer’s Chapel have done plenty to un-green the green way. Are you really going to walk to MoliPazzo when it’s 90 degrees at 7:30 only to get to dinner covered in sweat? Again, could be that I’m just old and cranky, but I just don’t see that happening here in White House.

   

   Pink area is proposed residential, green area is gas station, fast food, x’s are commercial buildings.

3. This is still rural Robertson County. It might not seem so rural anymore, but it still is. There are still cows on 31W and Calista. (not as many as there were) This is still a truck stop town with fast food and Walmart. No one who wants to live in a walk-able community is picking White House. The draw to live here is a great neighborhood for your kids. A house with a treeline as a view. A property with more than .3 acres. The community events in the park. The people that recognize you from soccer or baseball. The teachers that you run into on the green way or in Kroger. THAT’s what is bringing people here. Small town life with the opportunity to make life long friends. People are not moving here so they can walk to the grocery store and their doctor’s office. The developers proposing this type of community here are from a city and are unfamiliar with small town life.

The planning commission said that they could not recommend the approval of this project “as is” to the Board of Mayor and Alderman. That does not mean that the developer is dead in the water. They could still take this project to the BOMA. As is, it would not pass.

They will be back before the planning commission next month. They may come back with 50 town homes. They may come back with 20 single family homes. What they need to come back with is green space. They need to leave the trees between the two retail areas and call it a donation to the city and the environment. But, that’s just one girl’s opinion.

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