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Spring Hill • Thompson’s Station advertisernews.biz
March 22, 2017
SPORTS
SPRING HILL
THOMPSON’S STATION
BOMA: CRYSTAL CLEAR ISSUE TO DISTRICT COURT
Missive claims personal connection between original developer, company By John Evosevic jevosevic@c-dh.net
STAFF FILE PHOTO
Basketball
Independence ends season. B1
Historic Ferguson Hall is located on the 102-acre Tennessee Children’s Home property. The site is proposed to become a future downtown center.
Planners defer Spring Hill town center rezone By Jay Powell jpowell@c-dh.net
Softball
Area teams gear up for softball season. B3
LOCAL
Habitat for Humanity
Young fundraiser sets her sights on local Habitat houses. A3
properties. Historic Ferguson Hall resides on the property, which requires The Municipal the rezone to include Planning Commission a recommendation by deferred for the second the Spring Hill Historic time a request to rezone Commission. According property at the Tennessee to a city staff report, Children’s Home to the historic commission allow a planned zoning found a need for intense district. buffer areas surrounding The 102-acre site is the historic property, proposed to be Spring while preserving the Hill’s future downtown existing trees as much as center, and a planned possible. zoning district would There is also a allow for five customized request for additional zonings. This way, a information within each town square could development phase that develop to allow for shows construction will municipal, institutional, not negatively impact the commercial and historically significant residential facilities. sites. The item was deferred The item was deferred due to a long list of in February and no additional information new information has required, including been presented to city identifying right of way staff, city planner Jon along Main Street, a Baughman said. Staffers detailed phasing plan initially recommended and zoning of adjacent the commission table the
item due to the lack of contact with the property owner. “Since that time, there have not been any additional submittals, requests or contact with the applicant,” Baughman said. “Nothing has changed since that deferral.” Alderman Jonathan Duda argued that a deferral could be the better decision, and that city staff should take the time to contact the developer and get the information it needs due to the project’s size. “I want to request that we defer it for an additional month, that we contact the property owner and at that point we can decide if we’re going to table it, ultimately,” Duda said.
SEE REZONE P 2A
between this real estate developer and the general manager of Crystal Clear Technologies and both companies operate out of The Thompson’s Station Board of Mayor the same office.” Questions from and Aldermen will the board members send a letter to the U.S. District Court to request were raised as to why Williamson County a void on agreements Schools have not paid linking Chrystal Clear an opt-out fee for Technologies to local internet service at the subdivisions. Bridgemore subdivision Crystal Clear has while residents and other been under fire for businesses have been business practices required to do so. which force residents According to a letter of the Bridgemore and sent by the Williamson Canterbury subdivisions County School District, to pay monthly opt-out it was asserted that, fees of $75 per month, should they opt for other “under Tennessee law, WCS has to bid services internet, TV and phone and products such as service or none at all. Crystal Clear has insisted this. In this example, we are part of a State-bid that a 25-year legallycontract for internet binding bulk agreement access for Tennessee permits these fees. schools. AT&T won that The board discussed State bid. This contract a letter to be sent to the is also tied to federal United States District funding for school and Court on behalf of library access to internet Thompson’s Station residents affected by this through the FCC, called ‘e-rate,’ in which we are bulk agreement. The reimbursed a portion of town is asking that the our internet expenses. court void both self“Also, our local dealing bulk agreements. schools don’t actually The letter states, in part: hook up to local systems “When these but are instead a part agreements were of WCS’ network, with signed, both HOAs WCS accessing internet were controlled by real estate developer James Carbine. The Court should be aware that a SEE BOMA P 2A family relationship exists
SPRING HILL ELECTIONS
BOMA candidates hold election forum By Jay Powell jpowell@c-dh.net
Shakespeare
Spring Hill High to perform ‘Taming of the Shrew.’ B3
REGION
Columbia
Mall to keep JCPenney, even as company closes stores. A8
Those hoping to be the city’s next leaders came together for a forum at the Spring Hill Public Library last week, giving citizens an up-close opportunity to better know their candidates. Election day will be April 13, when voters will choose a new city mayor and four seats on the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. Ward 4 is the only seat without an incumbent. Former alderman Kayce Williams vacated the position last year after being hired as the city’s new economic development coordinator. The event was hosted by the Friends of the Spring Hill Library and moderated by Pat Bivens. The format consisted of candidates choosing from a list of 28 questions, which were submitted over the past couple of weeks by citizens. Topics ranged from how to face the JAY POWELL
The Voice
Austin Jones performed on the comeptition show last week. B8
Volume 15, No. 12 2 Sections
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Candidates for the April 13 Spring Hill election came together at a forum last Tuesday, addressing issues facing the city such as roads, smart growth and how each candidate will choose to represent Spring Hill citizens. The event was hosted by Friends of the Spring Hill Library.