The "Keystone Kops" was a popular silent film comedy series made between 1912 and 1917 about a group of totally incompetent policemen. What differentiated their bumbling behavior from the ordinary was the level of energy and activity with which they went about their foolishness. Jump ahead to 2007-2010, and meet the Keystone Kops in the form of the Town of Nolensville's Planning Commission and Board of Mayor and Aldermen.

Due to their high-energy bumbling in approving Jim McCanless' request to build four office buildings in the flood plain where the old Nolen cabin used to be, you can now buy the two flood plain corn fields adjoining Sunset Road and Nolensville Road for a mere $740,520 per acre. It is is currently listed by Southeast Venture in Nashville.

Frankly I am deeply disturbed by those charged to protect our safety (town government) making decisions that will--at an absolute minimum--cause disaster. Anyone who has lived here for even a couple of years has seen these fields flood regularly when Mill Creek gets violent during a heavy rain. Those who have lived here a little over a decade can remember the day the old Nolensville School on the corner of Nolensville Road and Sunset Boulevard flooded and they had to rescue the children. This happened directly across the street where developers now want to propose building in that very flood plain.

Why is it that even when the common Nolensville resident is smart enough to see that building there is foolish, and despite very clear and serious warnings from the only member of our town's government that building there should never be allowed (Vice Chair Douglas Radley), both the Planning Commission and the BOMA are champing at the bit to approve building there? There are only two possibilities: either they're idiots, or else the builders and realtors have been putting money into their pockets.

I'm sure someone will say that the land there can be built up (at a high cost). That is true. However, you can't make Mill Creek go away. Build up the land and the creek is going to re-route itself around it, and you can bet that sooner or later when a heavy rain comes she will rise up and flood  again. Can our town officials prevent Mill Creek from flooding? Can they control where flooding will happen and thereby protect us? Of course not. So why are they insistent on allowing building in the flood plain? How will they explain the destruction of existing buildings in our Historic District the next time Mill Creek gets her panties in a wad? Oh! I forgot! We need all those building fees and property taxes. So what if the old buildings get damaged or destroyed. We'll just assess more building fees and property taxes to rebuild.

Sitting at home or even in town meetings, and complaining to yourself or the person sitting next to you is not going to do anything to stop this insanity. We have to speak out together, in force, and let each and every member of the Planning Commission and the BOMA know that we are opposed to building in the flood plain. Write to them. Call them. Their email addresses and telephone numbers are on the Town Hall web site. Attend the Planning Commission and BOMA meetings and tell them at those meetings what you think about these absurd proposals. If you don't take part in directing these decisions, then you will have no right to complain when people and/or property get hurt because of them.

• Mayor Beth Lothers, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• BOMA Liaison Jimmy Alexander, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Chair Rick Owens This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Vice Chair Douglas Radley, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Secretary Bob Haines, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Andrew Grosson, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Jimmy Reaves, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

1-13,300 sq ft pharmacy w/drive-thru

2 - 9,100 sq ft building

3-14,000 sq ft building

4-17,500 sq ft building

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written by Lynda , August 03, 2010

Three years ago people came out to protest rezoning this property for a previous owner who finally withdrew the request rather than chance being denied.

So if this property was turned down for a town hall site recently for no other reason than its flood plain designation, then what is the rationale that it is safe for any other buildings?

If not for the minor little flooding annoyance, it would be a beautiful site for town hall at the entrance to the historic district, where many people think town hall should rightfully be, closer to the real town center.

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written by John , August 01, 2010

Jimmy, please respond to this. People’s livelihoods and possibly lives are at stake here. Why take a chance at what “might” happen in the next big flood if these areas are developed. I don’t believe this land should ever be developed. At least require the developer’s to pay for a comprehensive and independent study of how the surrounding area will be affected after they build the land up before approving anything. Without this report the city is just guessing that everything will be okay. I would rather be armed with facts than with just fear.

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written by Lynda , July 31, 2010

Jimmy,

For the record I do not believe anyone in Nolensville government is on the take or taking money under the table or even doing what they do for the money. Neither do I think they actually are idiots.

For the record, we forgot to say Thank YOU to Alderman Jimmy Alexander for doing what those in government should have been doing since this website started; what we hoped would happen when this administration started on such a high hopeful note almost 4 years ago---better communication; talking to citizens, not at them.

When Alderman Felts wrote on our website, he paid a high price for trying. His opponent made a mountain out of a molehill. Felts did nothing wrong. He was trying to help communication in a town everyone loves for different reasons.

Like I said in the last planning meeting, people need to talk with each other, especially merchants to the board members. They could use a course in business. Listening is involved too.

I also told you Jimmy, years ago, that people in this community disagree all the time without losing love or respect or friendship with each another. Its what we do and how we live. If you haven't learned it, you should.

You have the floor. Explain your reasoning for
planning buildings along Mill Creek on land that generations of ancestors knew not to leave even a tractor in overnight lest it be washed away.

Your statement that no one is in a hurry was a true one. Its taken years for people to quiet down after the last election year and become complacent enough and assume you would listen to people who did have nerve enough to speak.

I began going to town meetings 5 years ago to learn, then hope for change. Now I hope for change in Nov. but we're devastated to look around and see all the mistakes that we can't have a do over on, no matter who swings the gavel next year.

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written by Lynda , July 31, 2010

With all due respect where it is due, what Gardiner said was mild compared to others, especially those who personally had to labor for months to clean up errors in judgement that benefit only developer and government profits.
Iditots is a commonly used term I've heard said hundreds of times by others, but since Gardiner and I rarely talk except on this site, its the first time I've known him to use it.
By the way, I didn't know he would write the editorial,
but I'm glad a few in this community have courage enough to not stick their heads in the sand and do more than only moan and groan among themselves.

That Southeast Venture sign going up has caused even more unrest by people too disgusted and angry or afraid they will cry to dare speak to anyone in government.

Maybe you're not lining your personal pockets, but claiming to do this for the good of, or as representing Nolensville is more poppycock, since the other term offends you.
I PROMISE you, you are not nearly as offended as the people in this town at the lack of responsible leadership that puts building a Taj Mahal this town needs like a hole in the head, above historic buildings and people and public safety.

I was there, almost every meeting, and so were others who spread the word of what you have done. You spent far more time discussing your personal color preferences and the tables outside Dollar General than you did a decision of epic proportions.

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written by gardiner , July 31, 2010

Jimmy, I completely agree with all that Lynda had to say, so I won't repeat it here.

Also, I agree that my statement suggesting that town officials were on the take was out of line. I apologize to you and all other town officials. As far as I know none of our Planning Commission or BOMA are lining their pockets. To the outsider, however, it certainly looks that way. I know you are all dedicated, hard working people, but I have to say I DO wonder about your motives when government refuses to listen and continues to vote contrary to basic common sense... like allowing building in a flood plain.

My apology, however, does not change the fact that as a whole the government of Nolensville has turned a deaf ear to anyone other than developers. Jimmy, you personally approved plans to build in the flood plain, and it doesn't matter how you try to spin that. You voted FOR it when you should have opposed it.

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written by Lynda , July 31, 2010

Jimmy, there is a reason why no local owner has built on those properties for OVER 200 years. It wasn't lack of sewers because lots of building went on before sewers came a few years ago.

As Doug Radley so passionately stated,there are some places that just shouldn't be developed. He said if he could stop it he would. That from someone asked to be on the planning board and then asked to be co-chairman because of his lifetime of Corp of Engineer training! Why does he waste his time serving when no one listens to him anymore than you listen to people who know these water patterns and have tried to make you listen?
They've learned you don't, so others don't try.

And saying the property isn't zoned for commercial is poppycock.
Homes with families in them is OK?
You wouldn't buy or build there, now would you?
It was turned down for town hall.
But developers would build if allowed, and unsuspecting people would buy and move in not knowing.
Ask the people in those homes just North that flood often what its like to be betrayed by the ones who approved and lied by ommission, and to lose everything several times.

If you didn't learn from this latest flood and immedately approved building 3 new buildings in the flood plain your own expert spoke against at 3 meetings, then how can anyone expect any common sense decisions?

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written by Jimmy Alexander , July 31, 2010

You are correct regarding the approval of the McCord-Nolen property for commercial development.

This property as you know was a unique situation. With property located on both the east and west sides of the creek there was the possibility of allowing for cut and fill on the site without increasing flood runoff on adjacent properties.

I know that a small portion of the property north of Sunset is commercial but the vast majority of it is commercial.

I agree with you that considering development in the flood plain is a very serious consideration and I beleive the Planning Board and BOMA will continue to view it as such.

Gardner with all due respect I know also that the Board Members are not idiots and are not taking money as you have suggested.They work really hard for the betterment of our town and do not deserve comments like you have made.

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written by gardiner , July 31, 2010

With all due respect, Alderman Alexander, your voting record on June 2, 2010 says otherwise. You voted FOR the mayor's resolution to approve McCanless' office park in the flood zone in the Historic District.

For the record, the zoning of the properties referred to in the above editorial is not zoned ER. It is zoned CS & ER. We both know that CS is Commercial Service, which means that commercial building IS allowed.

Jimmy, no one here has said that a person doesn't have a right to sell their property. What we do oppose are the dangerous decisions being made by Planning Commission members and BOMA members to allow building in the flood plain in Nolensville--something that according to pubic record you do support.

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written by Jimmy Alexander , July 31, 2010

Being a member of both the Planning Commission and the Board of Mayor and Alderman, I can tell you that I know of no member of either the P.C. or BOMA that is champing at the bit to approve buildings on the property at the corner of Nolensville Road and Sunset Road. These are privately owned properties and if the owners want to sell these properties they certaintly have that right.
FYI, both of these properties are zoned ER which will not permit commercial buildings.

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written by John , July 30, 2010

What happened to all of Nolensville’s strict design requirements when our Keystone Kops approved the Martins BBQ with the roof top full of eyesores? I love Martins and the building in general looks nice but I get distracted by all of the equipment on the roof in plain view. There is a giant mobile kitchen mounted on a trailer that seems to be permanently parked outside. Now there is a refrigerated tractor trailer that appears to have made a permanent home parked against the building. What’s the point in having strict design codes or approving a nice building if it’s hidden behind trailers and rooftop equipment?
Our town leaders are so focused on yard sale signs and sign colors they are missing the big issues like overlooking flooding in populated areas and new eyesores.

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written by gardiner , July 28, 2010

I have added the names of the Planning Commission members, along with their email addresses, to make it easier for you to contact them and voice your concerns about such a foolish undertaking.

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written by John , July 26, 2010

With the four buildings approved in the historic district and now this new area developing, flooding in new areas is a sure thing. Bringing in fill for all of these buildings and parking lots will move the flooding area out further into populated land. All of the flood waters that these areas usually hold will have to go some place. What about the tenants who build in these prone to flood areas? The land lord is not required to tell them that they most likely will loose everything in a flood. The land lord is only responsible for his shell building, leaving the tenant in ruin. I hope the keystone cops think the tax revenue is worth the flood of lawsuits that are sure to come from these tenants and property owners who’s property is now underwater because their actions moved the flood waters

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written by Lynda , July 25, 2010

There are some very good men on those boards; intelligent, knowledgeable, and caring. The question that I would love to have the answer to is one many people are asking; "who comes up with all this stupid stuff?"

If the public, (old and new residents alike) can instantly see and be outraged and make almost the same comments and observations about the legality and sensibility, then why can't the board members see and say the same?

I've been glad to see that when the planning board has been polled before some votes lately, they haven't just followed the leader as they have so many times, costing taxpayers huge sums of money, making huge mistakes we can't ever correct and doing irreparable harm to Nolensville's reputation. Our government is a laughingstock.

My daughter (who was raised here) and family were in town today. They are well educated, leaders in their business, from 3 historic towns in Ga. They couldn't believe what I told them our boards had been working on for months. They said they had never heard of anything so crazy. This is said over and over.

Since our board members are not crazy, why then are they dragging meetings out for hours and hours and month after montyh discussing things that they should have known better than to bring up in the first place?
Go figure.

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