The Williamson County Regional Planning Commission voted, 9-2, to approve the Williamson 2040 Land Use Plan, following nearly two hours of public comments.
An unprecedented forty land owners signed up to speak, prompting the planning commission to suspend its bylaws and extend its usual 30-minute time frame for public comments.
Landowners from across the unincorporated county, from Grassland to Bethesda, spoke before the planning commission with differing views.
The room mirrored the packed Williamson County Commission meeting on Monday evening when residents sat divided about the future of land use in Williamson County — some wishing to protect property owner rights, others wishing to protect green space, and some both.
Williamson County Planning Director Mike Matteson said the planning commission's vote represented a "fork in the road" to decide if the county would follow the path of rural preservation or higher density and more growth.
The plan's proposed change in allowable density drew the most controversy and community debate.
Proposed changes in the plan included, down-zoning certain areas from one home per acre (referred to as "business as usual") density to one unit per five acres (referred to as "town and country") density.
Most important vote for future growth
Planning commission chairman, John Lackey, said the vote was the most important of his decades on the planning commission.
"I have sat in this chair for a long time," Lackey, who voted in favor of the plan, said. "And I will never make a vote more important than tonight. Not in my past and not in my future."
The Williamson 2040 plan outlines the county’s policies for desired land use patterns, rural preservation, open space and natural resource protection, quality and character of growth, and the provision of public services and facilities.
County Planning Director Mike Matteson
admitted that over the past 12 years (since the last land use plan was approved in 2007), the current land use plan has conflicted with the county's vision for rural preservation.
"As a result there has been a disconnect between the plan and the county's ability to implement the plan's central theme of preserving rural character," Matteson, who supports the "town and country" option, said.
During public comments, resident Christian Currey, who supports the town and county option, called the large-scale Stephens Valley development on Sneed Road the "poster child" for what can happen if the county's current one home to one acre zoning continues.
Others said developments like The Grove subdivision in College Grove, which operates on a decentralized sewer system, have contributed to growth by bringing hundreds of rooftops to the county's unincorporated rolling hills.
Property values v. rural preservation
Landowner on Cox Road, Sheila King, a farmer and a rancher, emotionally said her family would miss out because her property value would go down with the downzoning.
"We wanted to raise children and our retirement plan is based on (the current land use plan)," she said, explaining that the land wouldn't be as much value after a lifetime of work.
However, preservationist Laura Turner said the county's rural character is what makes Williamson County an attractive place for families and businesses.
"The county's economic engine is fueled by a town and country lifestyle," Turner said. "An overwhelming majority supports this choice, as we see by the sea of yellow signs (which read Town and County).
"Growth does not pay for itself," she said.
However, according to previous studies, Williamson County Association of Realtors has presented different findings.
In April 2019, WCAR released a comprehensive growth study "Population Growth & Economic Dynamics: A Case Study for Williamson County," completed by the Business and Economic Research Center at Middle Tennessee State University, which concluded that growth does pay for itself.
The WCAR study shows that revenue growth has exceeded population growth over the past 25 years.
However, some argued the findings.
Williamson County Commissioner Betsy Hester, 2nd District, the only elected official to speak during public comments, said that she believes the study is "incomplete."
"It doesn’t address the issue of building schools and highway maintenance and improvements, the $223 million the county has to fund in roads and fund a new jail and juvenile center," said Hester, who voted in favor of the "town and country" proposal in the plan.
Ultimately, WCAR president Jordan Vaughn, who does not support the proposed plan because he said it would decrease property values, also said he didn't want the issue to be "us against them."
Vaughn said he believed there could be a compromise, such as one home per two or three acres zoning instead of five acres.
No delays
Although, planning commissioner Eddie Sanders made a motion to delay the plan's adoption, the motion failed.
Sanders said more questions needed to be answered, such as more detailed zoning projections for specific areas like the villages and hamlets in Williamson County.
"I feel this plan is incomplete. Let's get some of these questions answered," he said.
However, other planning commissioners pressed to move forward with the plan.
Planning commissioner Beth Lothers, who also serves as a county commissioner in the 5th District, encouraged planning commissioners to vote in favor of the plan to "get the ball rolling."
She also clarified through Matteson that landowners would still have an opportunity to discuss or refine zoning maps as the zoning process continues.
Lackey reminded commissioners and residents that "a plan is a vision. It’s not a regulation."
Planning commissioner Robin Baldree explained why she would vote in favor of the plan.
"We need to keep our county beautiful and keep the rural character and see a way to accommodates both sides (in a) balanced way," she said.
Kerri Bartlett covers issues affecting Williamson County. She can be reached at kbartlett@gannett.com, 615-308-8324 or @keb1414 on Twitter.
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Williamson planning commission casts final approval for Williamson 2040 land use plan - Tennessean
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