Perot Company Submitting Appeal After Industrial Park Denial Following Citizen Tractor Convoy Protest

Image Credit: No Industrial Park & No Industrial Park / Facebook

The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –

Perot Company has stated that it will continue to make plans for a massive industrial park in Wilson County, despite being denied permission by the planning commission as a result of last month’s Tractor Convoy Protest.

Hillwood, a Texas-based development company with ties to the Perot Family, is seeking to rezone around 1,400 acres of farmland in rural Wilson County for the purposes of creating 10.35 million square feet of industrial style offices, warehouses, and light manufacturing spaces, as well as a retail mix in the northwest corner of the property off Interstate 40 near the Linwood Road exit, and a conservation easement of 265 acres.

The current land use plan for the area Hillwood wants to develop is high density residential.

Back in June, nearly 40 tractors gathered at the James E. Ward Agricultural Fairgrounds in Lebanon, Tennessee before making their way to the Wilson County Courthouse to attend the county commission’s planning meeting as part of a protest organized by No Industrial Park.

Almost 500 signatures were secured on a petition opposing Hillwood’s plans.

As a result of this protest, the planning commission denied the company’s land use plan amendment by an 8-2 vote and the rezoning was voted down unanimously.

Hillwood was given ten days to appeal this decision in writing.

However, the company does not plan to go before the commission until December 16^th of this year and has requested a lengthy wait time of five months before bringing its rezoning and land use plan amendments back for consideration.

“Hillwood is fully committed to bringing thousands of jobs, developing agricultural education opportunities, and preserving hundreds of acres in Wilson County. We look forward to continuing to engage with the community and partnering with them on this project,” the company said in a statement.

According to Wilson County Planner Christopher Lawless, this long of a wait time is not typical for appeal cases.

Lawless says Hillwood’s appeal will have to be essentially the same concept as what the county commission has previously reviewed and voted on. 

“There may be some minor revisions to the plan based on more input, but the overall plan will have to remain similar to what was presented at planning commission,” he wrote.

“We plan to keep it at the forefront,” Perry Neal, a local landowner, said about the five month wait time. “This will either be a win or lose deal. From our point of view, there is not a compromise.”

“They’ve gone to the trouble and expense to go this far,” he continued, “we didn’t expect they would pack up and go home. I am a little disappointed it’s not until December.”

About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.