With over 1000 survey and petition participants, dozens of tractors, hundreds of protest parade attendees, and countless yard signs, the community has spoken.
Wilson County doesn't want industrial development - We overwhelmingly want to Keep It Agricultural.
Our community has rallied together in spectacular fashion. But we must stay in the fight and finish strong.
Wilson County Commissioners Meeting at the Wilson Couty Courthouse. The County Commisioners will vote to approve or deny the development. This meeting is of utmost importance and will overrule the Planning Commission's suggestion (the Protest Parade Meeting).
Future Land Use Plan Community Discussion Meeting at Cumberland University. This is our chance to shape the future land use plan (along with the land use survey linked below) and nip future industrial development in the bud before developers lay out proposals.
Please fill out the survey link at the bottom of this page so that we can keep you informed and in the fight!
Hillwood, a Texas-based company with connections to the Perot family, is eyeing approximately 1,400 acres of our farmland just off exit 245, Linwood / Bobo Road.
Their intention is to transform our serene countryside into a bustling industrial zone.
Overcrowding our area, destroying our scenery, and forcing out our agriculture.
Our schools, community, and culture will never be the same.
South side of I-40 from Linwood Rd to Bell Rd is where it STARTS
Imagine the mess they've made off 840 right here in our backyard
And once the "industrial zoning" genie is out of the bottle, there's no stopping it
Watertown, Alexandria, and Carthage will fall. Once industrial sets in, no farm, forest, pasture, or creek will be safe
We sincerely thank everyone who came out to the City Planning Meeting and Protest Parade! We had over 3 dozen tractors in attendance, and a record-breaking crowd packed into the planning commission meeting room! It was truly an unprecedented turnout, and the Planning Commission voted in our favor (though not unanimously). This was step one of two. We won the Planning Commission Meeting battle, but to win the war, we must also win the County Commissioners Meeting in December.
In addition to our show of support, a key ingredient to our success at the City Planning stage was the Wilson County Land Use Plan. This plan was written years ago and is refreshed every few years. The planning commissioners largely rejected Hillwood's proposal on the grounds that it didn't use the land the way the land use plan intended. Therefore, it is absolutely imperative that the people of Wilson County voice our opinions on the future land use survey. The Wilson County Planners Land Use Survey is available here.
The ultimate decision regarding the Industrial Park will be this December at the County Commissioners Meeting. To win this, we need to continue vocally voicing our opinions by contacting our commissioners and elected leaders, taking the survey, and spreading our message.