Image Credit: rutherfordcountytn.gov
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
Property rights advocates are pushing back at a group responsible for developing a community plan to guide future land development.
According to their website, PlanRutherford is a “county-wide public planning initiative to engage residents and businesses in defining a vision for the community that will serve as a framework for the county’s future.”
State Representative Tim Rudd (R-Murfreesboro-District 34) opposes any plan that would potentially take away property rights from Tennesseans.
Rudd, who is a real estate agent, supports farmers putting property into trusts in order to preserve the agricultural use of their land, and says that if county officials want to preserve natural spaces, they should consider buying land for parks.
Murfreesboro City Council member Shawn Wright is also concerned with the plan that is purported to protect agricultural and rural living areas.
Wright said, “The government shouldn’t be able to tell people what they can do with their own piece of property.”
Rutherford county has been the fastest growing county in Tennessee for eight consecutive years. Data from the most recent United States Census shows that Rutherford has experienced a population boom of 41.63% since 2010 and now boasts over 370,000 residents.
In light of this growth, PlanRutherford aims to create a “vision document” that provides a strategic framework for policy that takes into account the community’s preferences in regard to future development.
While the plan does not have any authority or regulation, it is hoped it will be used to guide county decision making related to the review process of land development within the county.
Pettus Read, Chairman of the Rutherford County Regional Planning Commission and elected Republican member of the Rutherford County Commission joined other officials at an open house last night at the Lane Agri-Park Community Center in Murfreesboro at which members of the public were encouraged to learn about the plan.
Read said that the plan is not about taking property rights away from residents whatsoever and that those opposed are basing their opinions on “idle gossip.”
A formal adoption process of the plan is slated for January 2025. In order to be officially adopted, it will have to be approved by both the Rutherford County Regional Planning Commission and the Rutherford County Commission. Along the way, public hearings will be held, which must be advertised at least 30 days beforehand.
Members of the public have multiple options by which they may comment on the plan including by phone and email to the Rutherford County Planning and Engineering Department. These comments will be given to both the Planning Commission and the Board of Commissioners for review and consideration.
The Greater Nashville Regional Council (GNRC) has been working as a consultant to PlanRutherford since the process of creating the plan began early in 2022.
GNRC, a regional council of governments that represents thirteen Tennessee counties, employs professional planners as well as research analysts and policy experts to serve local communities as it aids the collaboration of cities, counties, state agencies and members of the public in planning for growth and development across Middle Tennessee.
Some areas in Rutherford County are not suitable for high-density development due to a variety of factors. Read says that the agricultural preserve area is land that is hilly; the rocky topography being limited to one home per 5 acres of land.
Hills and sinkholes, connected to the watershed areas, also limit development in the rural living areas where flooding can cause issues.
Jeff Phillips, Chairman of the Rutherford County Commission, supports the plan that aims to locate higher-density development closer to existing urban areas but said that the county’s Planning Commission needs to ensure that water and sanitary sewer services are accessible before officials sign off on developments in the future.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
