All Options In Proposed Western Connector Affect Family Farms Say Wilson County Landowners

Image Credit: mtjuliet-tn.gov

The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –

According to Wilson County landowners, there are no good options in the current proposal for a Western Connector by the City of Mount Juliet. The Tennessee Conservative reported previously about a seventh generation farmer whose family property is at risk due to the project. 

Of the three options in the Northern Alignment plans, Options B and C run directly through the middle of the Ligon farm. Additionally, Option C affects the Tate family’s farm, and Spry Valley Farms, marked Options E and K – both worked for over four generations in continuous family farm production.

Residents of Mount Juliet have pointed to the third option in the plan, Option A, as making the most sense for the city to pursue as it widens an already existing road. But Destinee Smith says that her family’s farmland will also be affected if the city chooses that route.
“I’m asking all of my friends and anyone else to please help us save my family’s land that my ancestors have lived on for almost 130 years now!” said Smith in a Facebook post on Saturday, “The City of Mount Juliet, TN is trying to tear up our road (including my family’s property) to make a bypass on this already VERY busy roadway! PLEASE SHARE & STAND WITH US TO #SaveSouthGreenhillRoad!!!!”

In a phone call with The Tennessee Conservative, Smith relayed that her family has already given land to the city twice for various projects and does not want to see more land lost due to the bypass. 

Smith said that her great-grandparents gave land to the city to straighten out the “S” curves on South Greenhill Road in the early 1900s, and then approximately twenty years ago the city took more land via eminent domain for the West Wilson Water Company.

“We’ve already given land twice to the city. So we feel like, why should we have to give up even more land for this connector project?” said Smith. 

In an interview with WKRN News 2, Smith’s grandmother Linda Smith said, “I just hate to see farmland destroyed, I mean, this road is so busy as it is.”

Public Information Officer Justin Beasley has said that the city will purchase any land needed for the connector, giving the land’s value “plus some” and that “we’re not taking anything from anybody.”

Beasley replied to our request for comment last week saying, “We have met with the public and gave everyone a chance to offer comments on the proposed plans available, for us to read through and consider before the decision making process begins.”

According to Beasley, the next steps in the process are to gather all the comment cards that were turned in by the community, followed by a work session with the city commissioners.

“I don’t anticipate any decisions being made for several weeks as we sort all the information,” he said. “It’s likely any specific segments selected for the first phase wouldn’t come until we get into the budget for the next fiscal year, which starts on July 1st.”

Smith is asking for support at the next public City Commission meeting on January 11th. The agenda for the meeting does not show any plans to discuss the Western Connector project. 

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.

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