City moves forward with annexation plans
The McMinnville Regional Planning Commission will be recommending areas for annexation into the city limits to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
The decision to recommend annexation of three tracts totaling 193 acres came after a Planning Zoning recommendation made during a Regional Planning Commission meeting Jan. 7. The areas are in Newtown, along Smithville Highway, and along Red Road.
Given current Nashville Highway expansion and possible development of the area, it was recommended to annex more land in the Newtown area. The land, 130 acres, is on both sides of Nashville Highway.
Land included in the proposal will be along the south side of Highway 70S from H.T. Pelham Memorial Parkway to behind South Circle. Also, it includes land on the north side of Highway 70S, tracts currently adjacent to the left and right sides of Bridge Builders Road.
The area along Smithville Highway, five acres, is actually two small parcels. One parcel is almost completely surrounded by city limits and the other has three sides connected to the city. Both are in the Northwood Lane area.
The parcel surrounded, called a donut, caused problems in the past when a trash can was mistakenly placed at the property by Public Works employees who thought the area was inside the city. Despite not being in the city limits, the property owners received city benefits without being in the city.
‘For quite a while, they had garbage service,’ said city planner David Baird of the Planning and Zoning Department. ‘It is very easy for someone to assume this area is within the city limits. My fear is this will happen again.’
The third area along Red Road is 58 acres along Hoover Drive and Garth Circle. Included in the recommendation are the parcels in between the two, and any land adjacent to both.
Mayor Royce Davenport and Vice Mayor Donald Hillis, currently on the commission, removed themselves from the vote as it pertains to the Newtown area. Both own property under consideration.
The commission passed the recommendations. They will be sent to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen for its consideration. Before elected officials begin their discussions, landowners will be informed and a public meeting will be scheduled.