Let’s consider the good about the rural resort

By Michael Coldwell, a commissioner on the Kingston Springs Board of Commissioners, and a board member of the Cheatham County Chamber of Commerce.

Every so often, a community gets the chance to grab the brass ring, hit the bullseye or win the jackpot. For south Cheatham County, that chance is the Rural Resort at Bell’s Reserve.

This proposed project would see a low-density tourist development of 120 rental cottages spread across 500 acres near Cedar Hill Road and Highway 70. Independent estimates suggest the project would generate 554 jobs, including 210 full-time positions, with average salaries up to $75,000, along with $5.9 million in annual direct tax revenues to our county, and another $12.7 million in indirect local tax revenue over ten years.

This is not an out-of-state developer looking to pave over our farmland. It is a Nashville-based, family-owned company, C.B. Ragland, that was founded in 1919, with a proven track-record in responsible and successful Tennessee development.

At a recent town hall, the CEO, Michael Hayes, spoke earnestly about watershed management, sponsoring 4-H scholarships, partnering with local purveyors and hosting singer-songwriter events at the future resort. Should their plans for water, sewage, and overall environmental impact pass muster, the developer seems ready to create a tourism destination that reflects our community and our values.

Some skeptics have called it a “subdivision” because 40 residences, basically summer second homes for wealthy folks, are included in the plan. Opponents call it a “commercial development,” as if it were a strip mall.

In reality, it is an upscale, secluded, outdoor resort, not visible from Cedar Hill Road, designed to bring visitors here to enjoy what we already love: fishing, hiking, our river and nature.

While some may have concerns about this project, let’s understand that we are too close to Nashville to pretend growth isn’t soon coming to south Cheatham County. Nashville is proud to be one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the United States, and they have the pedal to the metal for more. The I-40 is being expanded for a reason, and it is heading our way. We must manage the future strategically, by identifying and supporting positive development opportunities such as this Rural Resort.

I understand that many hold the opinion that there is simply no need to grow. After all, we like things the way they are around here (that’s why we live here). Small towns, however, can’t afford to do nothing. Costs for municipal construction, public safety, and road maintenance have increased significantly in recent years, just like the cost of your household eggs and milk.

Contrary to popular belief, municipal towns and counties run lean, with revenues tied mostly to property and sales tax. Without new sources of revenue, governments either raise taxes or cut services. A project like the Rural Resort delivers millions in economic impact with no new residents in our community, no new students in our classrooms, no strain on our healthcare providers, and no out-of-towners inflating our housing market. The positive economic impact is completely from visitors who come, spend money and leave.

To put it in perspective: this project’s annual direct tax benefit to our county is nearly double the entire operating budget of the Town of Kingston Springs. To be clear, those dollars would flow to the county, but the town will feel much of the indirect benefit, including the creation of 210 high-paying jobs.

Could you, or someone you know, benefit from one of the two hundred new jobs that pays $75,000 a year? How about an electrician, carpenter or other tradesman looking for twelve-to-twenty-four months of steady work. Know anyone? Three hundred will be needed for the construction phase. These are the employment opportunities this project presents.

While Ashland City and Clarksville embrace sprawling industrial parks to help fuel their economic growth, in south Cheatham County our obvious trump card is tourism.

Almost 100 residents attended a recent town hall, most with concerns or objection to this project. Those voices should be respected. No one likes change, especially so close to their backyard, and yes, construction will undoubtedly yield some short-term disruption.

For our county commissioners, however, leadership requires looking beyond the neighboring properties on Cedar Hill Road and seeing the magnitude of the positive impact that this project will have for District 6 and the 42,000 residents of Cheatham County.

Of all the projects we could be considering, this one is clearly a winning vision: low-density, eco-minded, Tennessee-owned, generating good jobs and strong economic returns. The nays are loud, do not be part of the silent majority and let this opportunity be shouted down. I urge my fellow residents to let your county commissioners know that Cheatham County welcomes the Rural Resort at Bell’s Reserve.