The Williamson County Chancery Court, with the Honorable Judge Martin presiding, decided on Tuesday to accept and hear an amended petition provided by two community groups with an interest in preserving the rural character of the Hillsboro Cove area.
Following a long discussion between the counselors and Judge Martin, it was ruled that this amended petition will be heard in court in mid September, unless the county requests a continuance. The petition is an appeal to make developments in this area stick to the Rural-5 standard, which means one property for every five acres.
The petition was put together and amended by Save Rural Franklin and Save Old Hillsboro, two grassroots groups formed in the interest of preserving the rural character of these areas. The development in dispute sits on Old Hillsboro Rd close to Natchez Trace, and has been a contentious issue between residents and the developer for months now.
These grassroots groups are made up of citizens in the area with concerns about how this development has been planned so far. There have been numerous violations from the developer including cutting down too many trees and causing the flooding of a neighboring property. The developer has had to resubmit the plat plan and cannot break ground without approval.
Even musical artist Jo Dee Messina has chimed in on the issue. To see Jo Dee’s interview with the Williamson Source click here.
In Tuesday’s session, more than half of the courtroom was filled with those representing Save Rural Franklin and Save Old Hillsboro.
“We believe the history, charm and cultural value of this area should be protected for future generations to enjoy,” said Jim Leonard, a member of Save Rural Franklin.
These two grassroots groups grew out of the issue of Hillsboro Cove when the development was still in the hands of Bob Parks Reality. Save Old Hillsboro came first, and Leonard says the plat provided for Hillsboro Cove by Bob Parks to the Williamson County Planning Commission “was a polarizing event as residence along Old Hillsboro Road understood the property along the corridor to be Rural-5,” which caused the group to be formed.
In regards to Save Rural Franklin, Leonard said, “Save Rural Franklin followed with the intent to shed light on the area as a whole, not just Old Hillsboro Road. A great deal of the history of our county, 13 historical markers, can be found near and around Del Rio Pike, Old Hillsboro Road, Old Natchez Trace and Moran Road. We wanted to ensure attention was being focused on all of it.”
In light of the numerous violations, Judge Martin has allowed for the court to hear the case of the citizens.
The Williamson County Regional Planning Commission will have a behind-closed-doors meeting on August 14 to discuss the case of Save Rural Franklin and Save Old Hillsboro Road v. Williamson County, by and through its Regional Planning Commission, Williamson County Chancery Court, Docket Number 43237.
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