Development of former Murray of Ohio property
03/23/2013
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Now that the “Streets of Brentwood” project has been pulled, please describe what you – as a citizen and as a city leader – would like to see developed on the former Murray of Ohio property.
First, thank you Brentwood Homepage for the opportunity to discuss a few of the many issues that Brentwood faces at this time. As a Commissioner I don’t feel it is proper to speculate too much on what should or should not be developed in a particular location, since we are charged to judge fairly and with neutrality any proposals brought before us, and in the future as a Commissioner, I may be required to judge a proposal on these two pieces of property. That being said, I will share from a factual viewpoint what some options have been and their respective positives and negatives. At this time these properties are zoned for C-1, and since the option has run out on the TBC property, I feel the Murray property will most likely be developed as office separately. Office space is not intimidating to Brentwood because we already have it in so many places and generally it is quiet on the weekends and we are accustomed to it. However, office space creates the worse peak hour traffic surges (7-9, 11-1,4-6) and typically it is all coming at one time in one direction. It also, from a revenue standpoint, creates a lot less revenue than other possibilities, the fortunate quality of Brentwood is, due to the wisdom of the Commission and the efficiency of our staff, we are very strong financially and don’t have to make our decisions on finances alone, which is rare among governing entities today, though for a reasoned evaluation it must be considered. Because these are two separate parcels, if developed separate we may lose many traffic mitigation opportunities that would be realized if the two parcels are developed together, and the mitigation projects being at the developer’s expense, not the taxpayers’ expense. Because of the difference in price per square foot in the Murray parcel and the TBC parcel, the Murray parcel will probably have office buildings built on it; whereas, the TBC property, when eventually developed could be a mixed use, that mix could be a rezoning that requires C-1 and C-2 or a C-4, but that will be determined by the developer and their ability to bring before Brentwood a plan that will go through our rezoning, unless they just want office space to be built in this location. A mix of use does provide some traffic advantages, some revenue advantages, and some property use advantages, moreover, many aesthetic advantages. If this mixture is allowed, it has to be done in the proper way so it is acceptable to Brentwood and can prove viable from a business standpoint, thus, the project proves beneficial to Brentwood’s citizens for years to come. Because of the different factors on these two parcels it may be that there is office only built on the Murray property but at the TBC property a mixture of use is requested , but that is dependent on someone bringing proposals, the Commissioner’s don’t do the developing , we just decide if the development is best for Brentwood and Brentwood’s citizens. As a Commissioner, I will strive to see that whatever is brought to us as a proposal will be done with Brentwood’s best in mind, as I did on this latest proposal. This is a pivotal piece of property and we need to do our best to get it right, whatever we should see in the future; however, Brentwood still has a very bright future and Brentwood’s future does not hinge on these two parcels of land. Brentwood’s bright future is dependent on its wonderful educated population, Brentwood’s aesthetic beauty, Brentwood’s tremendous central location and the love of Brentwood by many of Brentwood’s long-time residents all the way to Brentwood’s newest residents.
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C-4/Town Center zoning
03/23/2013
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A movement is under way to readdress the city’s C-4/Town Center zoning, in particular the 2010 revisions that included the opportunity for the Town Center district’s footprint to be expanded through rezoning. Please describe your thoughts on C-4 as it now stands and what impacts, positive and/or negative, potential revisions would have on future economic development of the city’s northern commercial zones.
First, if C-4 remains the same, I feel the citizen’s will have their voices heard as each project is brought before the City Commission. Going through this tremendous rezoning proposal the last 6 months proves that our process works in striving to be fair to all the citizen’s concerns and at the same time being fair to the property rights of those bringing the proposal. When the overlay was established it was done with the requirement that if C-4 was proposed it had to go through a complete rezoning process, which in Brentwood is a high hurdle for a proposal to get over, but a fair process. Because of this stipulation, I felt comfortable that all parties would be treated fairly and all projects would be vetted strictly. One important point, C-4 zoning is not evil or good in and of itself, it is one of many tools the City uses to determine if a project will be the best for a particular piece of property in a particular location of our commercial district. Being in a profession where I use tools every day, having many and varied tools at my disposal usually helps to get projects correct and done in an appropriate fashion. That being said, if we need to re-visit some aspects of the C-4 zoning and/or the overlay, I am very supportive of that, as many of you know who I talked with verbally or through e-mail during this proposal, I am very responsive to citizens’ concerns as we strive to do any project. ***As Commissioners we took several extra steps to insure that there was plenty of time allowed for all parties to give their opinions and some were unique to this project. As a Commissioner, I wanted to make sure everyone had a chance to weigh in on a project of this magnitude.
As far as taking a look at C-4, I think that is very healthy exercise, we have learned a lot by going through this large re-zoning proposal and I feel we have learned from the massive amount of time that was spent adjudicating the proposal. We may need to revise some rules where the C-4 abuts residential, there seems to be concerns with the residential aspects of C-4 that may need adjusting and some concerns with size and density allowed. Each of these are important to re-examine; however, we must also realize C-4 is a tool that allows certain types of development in a very limited area of our overall commercial land, and it creates more aesthetic streetscapes, more practical parking, better pedestrian access, more efficient use of certain parcels and many other benefits to the City and citizens of Brentwood. As we move forward with any adjustments, we must be careful to not throw the baby out with the bath water and we must make sure that we are doing what is in the best interest of all of Brentwood’s citizens both in the short term and long term. As with everything I do as a Commissioner, I promise I will study the issue completely and from many viewpoints, will strive to get as much citizen input as possible, even when I have to initiate it, as I do on many occasions, and will make the best and most fair decision to all parties involved that I am capable of doing.
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Low voter turnout for municipal elections
03/23/2013
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Brentwood has traditionally seen low voter turnout for municipal elections. How do you feel about maintaining Brentwood’s independent election versus incorporating it into a general election with other races?
There is sometimes low voter turnout for our local elections, which surprises me, in that your local officials probably have the greatest effects on your day to day life and are also the most accessible of all government officials. Local officials also live their lives day to day in the community of which they serve. Also, many of our friends, family and ancestors have paid a very dear price over several centuries to secure us the right to vote in free and open elections, this is a gift that is very precious and is best shown appreciation for by using and exercising your right to vote. All that being said, I feel it is important for the municipal election to be held separately (in years past when done with a national election it was not received well and Brentwood and Brentwood’s issues were lost in the roar of national and state politics). Since Brentwood’s Commissioners represent all of Brentwood and not a particular district it allows for the citizens to better know their local servants, it allows the populace to concentrate on local issues every two years, it brings about more awareness of how great a City we live in and helps us count our blessings that we sometimes might take for granted and it shows our commitment as a community to striving for excellence, in that we feel our local elections are very important to the health and stability of our city, so having separate elections is a vital component of this process.
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Traffic concerns
03/23/2013
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Traffic is a growing concern in all parts of the city. What is the city’s role in managing it?
Traffic has been a concern in Brentwood since the mid 70’s and Brentwood’s rapid growth, it is a symptom of the desirability of Brentwood as a premier place in the world to work, live and play. Our population increase has created traffic, also we have about 26,000 workers coming to Brentwood every day to work in our numerous office buildings, we also are centrally located so we have a lot of pass through traffic going to Nashville, Franklin, Murfreesboro, Bellevue, Smyrna, Lavergne, etc. That being said, the City in the four years I have been in office has done many traffic mitigation projects. These include the widening of Concord Rd, which by this summer the final legs of the projects will be done so it reaches all the way to Nolensville Road. Establishing traffic signals at Split Log and Wilson, Gordon Petty and Moore’s Ln., Crockett and Concord, Green Hill and Concord, these have greatly enhanced traffic flow and safety. More traffic improvement projects include widening of Split Log road and many intersection improvements at Concord and Wilson, Maryland Way and Franklin Road, better control and timing of traffic signalization throughout the City through fiber optics and new generation controller boxes. Future improvements now in the works, include Franklin Road widening South from Concord Road to Moore’s Lane, cooperation we have worked towards for years on signalization control on OHB, since it has such a great effect on the northern part of Brentwood, because of wise investment and foresight in regards to fiber optics and great regional cooperation through the MPO, these signalization are now possible and likely, flow controls and cooperation should improve traffic flow in these areas, especially during peak times and be a win-win for both north Brentwood and this portion of southern Davidson County. As the whole region continues to grow, there may eventually be opportunity for public transportation, but at this point, only rapid bus is in a trial phase. Due to our desirability, our location and many and varied jurisdictional controls on our roads in Brentwood and bordering Brentwood, traffic mitigation has been an issue I am passionate about and will continue to be passionate about, moreover, because of my profession, I am very attuned to Brentwood’s traffic and Brentwood’s roads on a daily basis.
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