CITIZEN'S "NO-SPIN" REPORT ON THURS., 2/9/06 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING FOR KIDD RD. ANNEXATION & MCFARLIN PUD CONCEPT PLAN.

Attention: All Blog Readers please note
the above picture showing a "CRAMMED"
PUD that nobody wants to live in. (Note:
this picture wasn't taken in Nolensville we
used it simply to show how "crammed" a
PUD can actually appear even to those that
live in a PUD.) That is why we were so
surprised that the developer for McFarlin
PUD used this photo from our blog in his
slide presentation. He said this is an
example of what our PUD will not look like.
Despite the fact that they didn't have per-
mission to use the photo, it is LOL time.
That means Laugh Out Loud at people who
have to try this hard to sell a PUD plan that
despite their best efforts more often than
not end up looking like the picture. Don't
forget a PUD is a PUD is a PUD and still a
PUD even if you put lipstick on it...a PUD
it still is! Oh, well a majority of 11,000 sq.
ft. lots (less than 1/3 acre) will do it every
time. You just cannot "fool" the public...
it is what it is--squeezed together houses
on Tiny Tim lots perched on narrow streets.
Nolensville has 9 PUD's being built as you
read this.You can put a PUD in the middle
of hiking trails, foot paths, pocket parks
and playgrounds, but a PUD is a PUD
is a PUD no matter where you put it ...
it is still a PUD.

In Friday's 2/10 Dispatch, Rich Wood-
roof our town engineer has a long article
on PUD's.titled "What is everybody talk-
ing about?." This is a "puff" piece spinn-
ing out of control that confuses Nolensville
citizens even more.Here's why..."Town
Officials and PlanningCommission had
several meetings to try and prepare for
growth. With the thought of trying to keep
the small-town feel of Nolensville, the
decision to allow Standard Subdivisions
and Planned Unit Divisions was decided
upon." This decision immediately "doomed"
the small town concept because the develop-
ers instandly jumped on the PUD band-
wagon and have been riding it every since.
Want proof? To date the mayor's board has
approved NINE (9) PUD'S AND NOT ONE
(1) STANDARD SUBDIVISON ( 1/2 acre
lots). This means 1,900"SHRINKABLE"
homes squeezed together on 1/3 acre lots...
AND 1,243 MORE PUD HOMES ARE
GOING TO BE APPROVED IF MAYOR
HAS HIS WAY.

WHY ISN'T THERE ANY STANDARD SUB-
DIVISIONS? GOOD QUESTION THAT IS
ON EVERYONE'S MIND? ANSWER IS
SIMPLE..LAND PRICES BEING WHAT
THEY ARE..SO HIGH WHAT DEVELOPER
IS GOING TO BUILD A (SR) STANDARD
(ONE HALF ACRE LOTS) SUBDIVISION
WHEN HE CAN BUILD A "PUD" ON 1/3
acre or less lots and sell many more houses.

Now about Jimmy Alexander's Letter to the
Editor in 2/10 Dispatch. This letter is a fine
example of deliberate "SPIN" and the author
should be ashamed of himself for trying to
further confuse the public He starts his
lettter "patronizing" the reader about how
important it is to get their information
correct. AND THEN PROCEEDS to do the
very thing he criticizes others of doing..that is
"spinning the truth" not quite telling the rest
of the story. In Mr. O'kain and Mr. Clark's ad
they said.."A PUD development allows for
smaller lots than the standard half-acre lots.
This allows for more houses to be built in a
subdivision" Mr.Alexander says this is not
true. He says "an SR and a PUD will yield the
same number of lots.Both have a maximum
density, or number of houses per acre, of 1.8
dwelling units per acre."

HOLD THAT THOT! No where does Mr.
Alexander mention minimum lot sizes and
here's the rub. Nolensville SR minimum lot
size is 20,000 sq. ft. or one-half acre.
A PUD has a minimum lot size of 11,000 sq.
ft. or less than one-third acre. Now it doesn't
take a rocket scientist to see that a PUD is
going to have more homes on smaller lots
and make much more money for the develop-
er.

It's like the McFarlin developers said thurs.
nite in our PUD you will pay as much as a
home in Suburban Residential,on a smaller
lot, but have all the other features like pocket
parks, hiking trails, playgrounds, ponds and
tiny lawns. Well somebody has to pay for all
these goodies and goodness knows the
developer isn't going to pay for them.

Mr. Alexander CAN YOU SAY DUH? YOUR
APOLOGY WOULD BE ACCEPTED but we
doubt it will be forthcoming. So Sad. So much
spin. So little time. So let's get down and do it.
Citizen turnout for last two town hall meetings
has been fantastic keep on keeping on. We can
do this...don't give up..don't give in to the spin!

One more shot over the bow of Mr. Woodroof's
article in Dispatch. Wanna hear a terrror filled
fact...listen up here it comes..."by state law a
SR COULD BE MADE UP OF ALL MODULAR
HOMES (manufactured metal frame homes).
Oh my! It could happened right here in Nolens-
ville right? WRONG! WHAT DEVELOPER IN
HIS RIGHT MIND WOULD BUY LAND FOR
$30 to $60,000 PER ACRE and INVEST IN A
"ERECTOR SET"OF METAL STUDS & RAFT-
ERS" BOLT THEM ALL TOGETHER FOR A
MANUFACTURED HOME & SET IT UP FOR
SALE ON AN ACRE OF LAND THAT COST
MORE THAN THE HOUSE? WE KNOW AS
A READER OF THIS BLOG YOU KNOW
THE DIFFERANCE! UNFORTUNATELY,
MANY ARE FOOLED BY THIS KIND OF
SPIN. WE WILL EXPOSE SPIN IMMEDIA-
TELY. THIS IS AN example of outrageous
"SPIN" IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN,

BUT THEY JUST WANTED TO SCARE
THE "CRAP"OUT OF YOU FOR A VERY
GOOD REASON.WHAT'S THAT? THE
REASON IS TO CONVINCE YOU..YOU
DON'T KNOW ANYTHING AND WE DO.
We are in charge... we and only we are
keepers of the truth and that's why we put
those charts in the paper to totally confuse
you...all. Ain't politics the most low down
dirty business. You got that right!

Moving on..last thurs. nite we had a terrific
group of local citizens speaking up against
PUD'S & annexation. Everyone did a out-
standing job and deserve your thanks for
standing up tall. Let's try to give you a
sampling of comments.
*Stop building...only one house per lot..
.period. *Schoolbus driver: roads can't
handle hundreds of new cars...too narrow..
.too dangerous.
*Kids play in the streets in PUD's..No yard?
*Sideyards are ridiculous.NO PRIVACY????
*Why does mayor ignore survey-NO PUDS!
*May small town Nolensville charm...RIP.
*70 people here tonite say NO to PUD'S
*Why doesn't the mayor listen to PEOPLE?

Next Business of Annexation of Kidd Rd
area.Discussion centered around control.
Mayor was anixous to take over control of
1200 or more acres.He assured everyone
that city had adequate facilities taxes and
future road impact fees to maintain Kidd
Rd. The key words are "future road impact
fees." There is nothing in place because
city doesn't know what to charge? He also
referred to a plan of services for the area.
No one has seen it but it supposedly exists?

Planning commission "recommended"
the annexation to the mayor's board
which is all they can do.

The majority of people in attendance were
against the annexation, but felt powerless
to stop it. They know it is in the long range
plan for the city, but cannot understand
why everything has to move so fast,
when the city doesn't have enough money
to pay for the extra costs.

Mayor commented that "TDOT doesn't
really care about our infrastructure...and
that he has often asked TDOT help."
He also said "you cannot fix the roads first
and then do the development."MMMMmm
mm need to think about that one?

Mayor asked the audience to TRUST HIM
that the fees he is commencing, to begin to
think about will be adequate. Trust is a
fragile thing..and we trusted him to listen
to us and not approve every PUD that came
down the pike.

What happened? 9 PUD's to date and 5 or
more coming. SO MUCH FOR TRUST!
Thanks anyway for your invitation to come
down to city hall and meet with you to dis-
cuss the sad situation. But since you are
never in town we'll say thanks,
but no thanks.

Finally, the McFarlin PUD Concept Plan.
Mayor said Mr. Charles (the developer)
has been very cooperative and waited a
long time to start this project. (no hugs &
kisses please!) Mr. Charles stood up and
assumed the posture of poor, pitful,me..
I just don't know whether to make our
presentation tonite, because of all the
NEGATIVE citizen comments about
PUD's? What ever shallwe do? Please help
me. SOOOOOOOoooooooo the mayor
turned to his Planning Commission and
asked them what they wanted to do?
Well confusion reigned supreme..no eye
contact...no sound...just white sound.
Finally, the profoundest statement ever
heard..."Well since we won't be annexing
anything tonite.might as well go ahead
and listen to the PUD PITCH..SPIN..
COMPLETE with pretty pitchers. Go for it
Bubba..tell us all how magnificent the view
is now, before you all pack them Disney
World model homes into the landscape
and eliminate the view.

Gotta tell you pitchers were real pretty,
but we couldn't understand why all the
homes seemed like they slid down the hills
and all ended up in one small tight ,tiny
corner of the pasture?
How come? Beats me? They got all kinds
of room...green grass and tall trees?

Someone asked about traffic and if Kidd Rd.
as is could handle traffic. Heads UP...here
comes the traffic study person introduced
by Mr. Charles' son.None other than Ms.
Fishbach who has done many traffic studies
for our mayor.
You really need a program cause people
switch sides quicker than melted butter.
She shared with the audience that although
no official study has been done experience
tells her "there would be absolutely no traffic
impact on Kidd Rd."

So that means 1,800 new cars added to exist-
ing traffic on Kidd Rd. would be no problem.
Already we feel better..getting warmer...and
yes getting really MAD and we're aren't going
to put up with this kind of CRAP ANYMORE.

Highlight of the meeting! Mr. Lew Green,
Budget Director of the Williamson County
Commissioners Board attended the meeting.
Highly respected, long time resident of the
area and a NUMBERS MAN. Get it...he
knows the finances..he knows all about
contracts, bills to be paid...you name it he
knows. He quietly stood up in the back of
the room and said "the McFarlin developer
should pay for the entire Kidd Rd. widening."
The developer had proudly said that they
would pay for ONE MILE estimated to cost
1.8 Million. The mayor and members
of the planning commission "PAUSED"
and moved on. Mr. Lew Green stood up
again and quietly repeated his previous
statement.

FOLKS THIS IS EMBARRASSING
BECAUSE NO ONE UP FRONT GOT
THE MESSAGE FROM SOMEONE
WHO KNOWS.

In other words, our mayor and boards are
in very deep financial "doo-doo" and do not
even know it. For example, in Brentwood
the Copperfield Home development started
out with $1 per sq. ft. fee and later added a
$1,250 impact fee and then when Brentwood
annexed them another estimated fee around
$2,000. Plus a new property tax in 2006.

Folks this is the real world and our city
leaders are living in DisneyWorld...where
unfortunately, there is no Mickey Mouse to
bail them and us out.

Stay strong...keep reading this "NO SPIN"
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