Many concerned citizens attended the meeting October 1st at the Franklin High School library regarding the comprehensive land use plan. 

County planners and their experts told us we are at a crossroads. We must decide on how we want the county to develop in the future. What quality of life do we want for our children? What historic resources do we want to protect for future generations? 

I liken our dilemma to being on the Titanic. It was a beautiful expensive ship but greed kept lifeboats to a minimum and ego prevented iceberg warnings from being taken seriously. If they had only listened to the warnings. 

I do know a few simple truths about the mega-growth consuming our county. Growth does not pay for itself-- taxpayers pay for it. County property taxes were recently raised to pay for all this growth. The county debt is $568,424,149 yet Williamson County is the 7th richest county in the United States. 

Historic, scenic and culturally significant resources are being destroyed. Traffic is abominable and getting worse. Our 'Town and Country' lifestyle fuels the economic development engine of the County. When the 'country' part of the County is gone, this engine will choke and stall. 

We need rural preservation not density devastation. We are looking to you, our County commissioners, to do the right thing and support the recommendations of our County planners and their experts. When the time comes, vote for the 'Town and Country' growth scenario with one unit per 5 acres in the unincorporated parts of the County. 

In 2001, Scenic America named the Harpeth River Valley as one of the Top Ten Last Chance Landscapes in the US. Almost 20 years later, the truth is this is our last chance to save what we all love and treasure in this amazing county.