Spring Hill continued on an upward growth trajectory in 2018, bringing with it many notable changes and accomplishments. Here’s a look at just some of the City of Spring Hill’s 2018 highlights. This year, the City of Spring Hill …
• Kicked off the “Cash for Trash” program in February. If your school group, Scout troop, church group, nonprofit, or any resident group is looking for ways to volunteer and help make our City a better place to live, we invite you to sign up for the City of Spring Hill’s volunteer Cash for Trash litter control program. It’s designed to promote the cleaning of street rights-of-way within Spring Hill, which helps nonprofit groups earn public service hours while contributing to the aesthetics of our community. The program assists our Public Works Department in keeping our City clean and attractive while keeping our streams free of litter and debris by paying citizen groups for volunteer litter pickup.
• Was ranked in February as the second Safest City in Tennessee, just behind Brentwood, by the National Council for Home Safety and Security, thanks to our Spring Hill Police & Fire Departments, emergency dispatchers and EMS for keeping our city safe
• Received conceptual approval in February from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to TDOT’s request for a new I-65 interchange to be constructed at what will be an extension of Buckner Road to provide much needed access on the Williamson County end of town
• Installed a needed traffic signal in March at Thompson’s Station Road and Buckner Lane.
• Repaved about 4 ½ miles of local streets throughout Spring Hill during the spring as part of the City’s annual paving contract
• Received two Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) donated to our emergency services in March by Traditions and The Reserve at Port Royal assisted living facilities in Spring Hill. The new AEDs are used in two police supervisor patrol units, allowing them to respond quickly to medical emergencies and begin CPR when needed before emergency medical personnel arrive on scene.
• Recognized Marsha Gallardo, the Spring Hill Public Library’s Children’s Librarian since 2006, who was awarded the 2018 Daniel Taylor Memorial Award by the Tennessee Library Association (TLA) in April.
• Installed a new traffic signal in April at Kedron Road and Old Kedron Road.
• Hired Dana Juriew as the new director of the growing Spring Hill Public Library following the Library Board of Trustees’ selection of Juriew in May. Mrs. Juriew was hired in August 2016 as Assistant Library Director and had been serving as interim director for the previous three months after former director left the position. Mrs. Juriew, with 23 years of professional library experience, has served in a wide range of library positions in both Michigan and Tennessee. She holds a Master of Information and Library Studies Degree from the University of Michigan, and a Library Media Specialist Endorsement Teaching Certificate from Middle Tennessee State University.
• Saw construction of the widening of Beechcroft Road (S.R. 247) get underway in June. Next year, this project will extend Saturn Parkway (State Route 396) to connect into the realigned Beechcroft Road. The $17.1 million TDOT project also includes construction of multiple turn lanes on connecting streets; construction of a grade-separated overpass bridge over the CSX railroad, which will resolve long existing public safety issues with trains blocking the roadway while loading and unloading freight at the GM facility; and construction of a bridge crossing McCormick Creek Branch on the new road alignment.
• Revealed in June the concept design plan for the new Spring Hill Public Library, which will be greatly expanded in renovated space at the City-owned Northfield Complex. Construction plans are on track to be complete in January 2019. The project, estimated at about $6.75 million for design, construction and furnishings, will renovate nearly 40,000 square feet of existing space at Northfield, including new finishes, lighting and library interiors to create a 21st century library. The City also will be considering repair of the existing parking lot and an exterior façade branding in addition to the library renovation project at Northfield, which was recently annexed into City limits.
• Formed the Spring Hill Tourism Council in June, by action of the BOMA, following a recommendation of the Rippavilla Task Force. The Tourism Council serves as an advisory committee to the BOMA “regarding tourism related properties and matters, and to serve as liaison between citizens, interested parties related to these properties and matters, and the BOMA.”
• State-certified the results of the City of Spring Hill’s latest special census in June verifying Spring Hill has gained 3,906 residents within the past two years since the last special census. The 2018 Spring Hill Special Census was conducted between Oct. 1, 2017, and Feb. 28, 2018, and collected residents’ names and addresses. The official population of Spring Hill now stands at 40,436, a 10.7 percent increase from the 36,530 residents certified in 2016.
The City of Spring Hill Special Census, conducted by Dempsey, Dilling & Associates, was done at a taxpayer cost of about $157,000 in the 2017-18 fiscal year. The additional residents counted will result in $515,397 in new State-shared revenue to the City, an annual return on investment more than three times the cost of the census.
• Partnered through the Spring Hill Fire Department and the Maury County Office of Emergency Management in July to provide government resources and manpower to put into service a new trench rescue trailer. With the large amount of construction underway at any given time in Spring Hill, a trench rescue unit is a necessary tool for our emergency responders. A trench rescue, one of the most dangerous types of rescue missions, involves shoring up the sides of a construction trench and digging out a trapped worker from a collapsed ditch.
• Won a $25,000 Dog Park Dash grant in July, awarded to the Spring Hill Parks & Recreation Department by the Boyd Foundation. The grant funds will update and improve the existing Spring Hill Bark Park at Evans Park.
• Recognized our Spring Hill Water Treatment Plant, which won an Award of Excellence by the American Water Works Association KY-TN Section in July
• Installed a new northbound right-turn lane in July on Main Street (U.S. 31) at Commonwealth Drive as part of the “Diablo” package of improvements to U.S. 31, funded in last fiscal year’s budget by BOMA. Additional turn lanes constructed along U.S. 31, such as this one, not only help with traffic flow in the interim until U.S. 31 can be widened, these lanes also help expedite the future widening as it’s that much less right-of-way to acquire at that time.
• Approved through BOMA the City’s new Unified Development Code (UDC), a consolidated book of development regulations that was nearly two years in the making, designed for Spring Hill’s long-term future growth. Having a UDC is key to implementing the vision laid forth in Spring Hill Rising: 2040, our city’s Comprehensive Plan.
• Welcomed to town, Faurecia, an automotive components manufacturer that’s now constructing its facility off Cleburne Road following a successful City of Spring Hill economic development effort. Faurecia, which started construction in August, will invest more than $30 million and create 143 new jobs.
• Welcomed to town, Chick-fil-A, in August, at the corner of U.S. 31 (Main Street) and Wilkes Lane. The restaurant had remained one of the most citizen-requested businesses for many years in Spring Hill, and it was successfully recruited through lengthy City of Spring Hill economic development efforts. This project also included installation by the developer of a turn lane and traffic signal at the intersection of Wilkes Lane and U.S. 31.
• Saw the continued growth of the Spring Hill Farmers Market, drawing more new vendors and sizable crowds at Harvey Park
• Funded three new sidewalk projects through the annually funded Neighborhood Sidewalk Program (NSP). A new sidewalk was constructed in the Crowne Point neighborhood along the east side New Port Royal Road between Tweed Place and Wales Court in November. In 2019, a sidewalk will be installed on the east side of Port Royal Road from Buckner Lane to the Kroger gas station entrance; as well a sidewalk connection on the south side of Dewey Drive between Commonwealth Drive and Lexington Farms Drive continuing with sidewalk on the east side of Lexington Farms Drive to connect to existing sidewalk. In total, the projects cost $150,440.00, with a net cost of $130,257 to the City after receiving $20,182.50 in contributions from homeowner associations, which partner with the City in the funding of these projects under the NSP.
• Was ranked in a study the ninth easiest city in Tennessee to sell your home. The ranking was part of a study on the healthiest housing markets in the country by SmartAsset, a New York-based financial technology company
• Saw TDOT’s completion in September of the installation of about a half-mile of cable median barrier along the southbound side of I-65 in the area near the Saturn Parkway exit, a $377,000 safety investment by the state into the Spring Hill area
• Accepted the installation of a “Little Free Library” at Port Royal Park by the Crawford family of Spring Hill (Bryan, Rebecca, Lily, Olivia and Faith) in October. The family hopes to establish “Little Free Libraries” in all City of Spring Hill Parks and around town for the enjoyment of the community.
• Debuted several exciting new events at Rippavilla, including partnering in July with Airbnb Experiences to offer a unique local tour experience of the battlefield where the Battle of Spring Hill took place; the Antique Tractor Show in September; and The Blues & Jazz Festival in October
• Moved forward with the updating of the Spring Hill Major Thoroughfare Plan (MTP). This transportation planning process will update an important document that recommends improvements for the City’s major roads through the year 2040. The public comment period for the draft MTP ended Nov. 14. The plan will be finalized in the coming months.
• Welcomed to town in November the new headquarters of the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA), which located in the old Saturn bank building adjacent to Northfield after a successful City of Spring Hill economic development effort. The union-dedicated nonprofit’s nationwide mission is “to unite the union community for conservation and the protection of North America’s outdoor heritage.” Its members “hunt, fish, shoot and volunteer their skills for conservation.”
• Positioned the Building Codes & Inspections and Planning & Zoning Departments to soon be the first municipal departments to move from City Hall to the City-owned Northfield Building Complex. The move, occurring the week of Dec. 26, will cause a brief disruption of service. If it’s possible for members of the public or developers needing planning, codes or development-related transactions to schedule any submittals you may have outside of the week of Dec. 26, please do so. When these services have relocated, these departments will be at Northfield, 5000 Northfield Lane, Building 500, Suite 520.
• Ranked in December as the fastest growing area in the state of Tennessee, according to U.S. Census data analyzed by the University of Tennessee.
• Opened registration for the annual Spring Hill Mayor’s Challenge. The 2019 Challenge, hosted by Spring Hill Parks & Recreation and the Healthier Spring Hill Committee, will kick off Jan. 7.
• Received a $25 million federal grant to help fund the construction of a new I-65 interchange exit and extension of Buckner Road to connect the new interchange. The U.S. Dept. of Transportation’s BUILD Grant is a significant development for Spring Hill, which currently has only one I-65 interchange at Saturn Parkway. This project will create much needed interstate access on the north end of town, which will greatly help to relieve U.S. 31 traffic and do a great deal to address part of our growing city’s transportation issues. At a City level, this has been ranked one of our most important projects, and this federal grant will cover roughly half of the total estimated $48 million interchange project.
• Honored Alderman Chad Whittenburg, who served at his final Spring Hill BOMA meeting on Dec. 17 after seven years on the board. Alderman Whittenburg is resigning from the board due to moving outside of Spring Hill city limits.
• Saw significant progress on TDOT’s continued widening of Duplex Road (S.R. 247), which is scheduled to be complete in Spring 2020. The widening project includes sidewalks on one side of the roadway and a multiuse path on the other.
• Positioned the City of Spring Hill’s Emergency Dispatch Department to be consolidated with Williamson County Department of Emergency Communications, which is on track to be effective Jan. 2, 2019. The consolidation plan was approved by the BOMA in October as a cost-saving measure that, in the long run, will improve the speed and efficiency of emergency responses.
