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Well, it's time to ask, what would you think of an incorporated city in western Putnam County?
We already have Monterey in the east, and the west is just so underdeveloped despite being closest to Nashville/Murfreesboro, right by lots of water and still in Putnam County. I'm not talking about along Martin Creek as it's too remote, nor even Gentry/Cole's Store, but rather southwestern Putnam County where there's interstate access and more potential for businesses (Buffalo Valley and Silver Point).
Personally, I believe yes, someone should incorporate a fifth city. As I've said, we're underdeveloped out this way, and Monterey is incorporated despite being far-flung. I also believe such an incorporated city should include both Silver Point and Buffalo Valley as double downtowns (similar to Grundy County's Gruetli-Laager) and the areas in between also included to get the 1,500+ population sufficient to incorporate (along Buffalo Valley Road and possibly Tucker Ridge Road).
And I did mean it when I said there's lots of water nearby; Center Hill Lake obviously, but also the Caney Fork River tailwaters and the big Indian Creek. This makes downtown Buffalo Valley the only place in Putnam County to have direct access to navigable waters (the Caney is navigable below Center Hill Dam, and most of what the lake flooded was too before the dam blocked it). Also, Silver Point is already growing, and they should probably add a truck stop in Buffalo Valley as the ones in Baxter and Gordonsville are too crowded. Additionally, they're both on the railroad.
I also believe they need more apartments in Putnam County and to start building them in southwestern Putnam County. That way, unincorporated western Putnam County doesn't go sprawling with a bunch of unincorporated subdivisions in hilly areas. I mean, sure, the county will probably have to do something about a few roads either way (e.g. Carrs Chapel Road to get to the lake, Stanton Road to get between the town and much of US-70N more directly), but it'd be a LOT worse if subdivisions developed uncontrollably away from the interstate. Of course, uncontrolled sprawl would also mean more deforestation.
Last but not least, Buffalo Valley being right by the giant Caney and on both sides of Indian Creek could make it a good place for a riverfront city park, if they wanted a city park; maybe even with a fishing dock? Although I doubt they'd go this far, maybe even plant Needle Palms and/or Dwarf Palmettos to give it a subtropical-type feel as well as Great Rhododendrons to give it a rainforest-type feel, neither of which would be very misplaced for our area.
What would be the purpose of incorporating SW Putnam County? Adding an additional level of bureaucracy and more taxes? It would cost a fortune to extend "city" services to these very rural and far-flung areas, things like street lights, sewage, police and fire protection, garbage pick-up, etc. In addition, a big chunk of Silver Point is actually in DeKalb County, not Putnam.
Monterey is smaller in area than Baxter but with twice the population. It's a very compact little town. It makes sense for Monterey to be its own municipality. And unlike western Putnam County, Monterey also has a thriving commercial and industrial sector which helps offset residential taxes. One of the region's largest industries, Perdue, is in Monterey and employs over 1,000 people. It contributes a huge amount of money to Monterey's municipal budget. There's nothing even remotely like Perdue in western Putnam County. Even the new tile factory that's supposed to break ground soon will be inside Baxter's city limits, not in rural western Putnam County.
Between Buffalo Valley and Silver Point there's, what, one gas station, one restaurant, and a Dollar General, all in Silver Point. Oh, and the dragstrip and a small cement plant in Buffalo Valley. Hardly enough to contribute to a municipality's tax base, particularly a municipality that would cover an area 10x that of Baxter but with the same population. The increase in property taxes needed to adequately fund a Buffalo Valley-Silver Point municipality would be astronomical.
Buffalo Valley did used to have a thriving little commercial area where the current post office is. Who knows, someday it might reach the point where it'll be revitalized (I hope so), and maybe at that point there will be enough demand to incorporate as a separate municipality. But right now, there's absolutely no reason to do so.
But it is fun to think what the name of this new municipality would be. Buffalo Point? Silver Valley?
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its - possession
it's - contraction of it is
your - possession
you're - contraction of you are
their - possession
they're - contraction of they are
there - referring to a place
loose - opposite of tight
lose - opposite of win
who's - contraction of who is
whose - possession
alot - NOT A WORD
What would be the purpose of incorporating SW Putnam County?
Encouraging commercial development, and as I mentioned in the OP, to hopefully stop subdivision development from getting out of control in western Putnam County (keeping suburban residential development mostly along the I-40 corridor and encouraging apartment development).
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In addition, a big chunk of Silver Point is actually in DeKalb County, not Putnam.
I was thinking to include the downtown and maybe Tucker Ridge but exclude the DeKalb County portion. However, I do wonder whether it'd still be possible today to include the DeKalb County portion by incorporating it to begin with; you can't legally expand city limits across county lines AFAIK, yet there are cities like Tullahoma and Spring Hill that are in multiple counties.
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Between Buffalo Valley and Silver Point there's, what, one gas station, one restaurant, and a Dollar General, all in Silver Point. Oh, and the dragstrip and a small cement plant in Buffalo Valley. Hardly enough to contribute to a municipality's tax base, particularly a municipality that would cover an area 10x that of Baxter but with the same population. The increase in property taxes needed to adequately fund a Buffalo Valley-Silver Point municipality would be astronomical.
I wonder then, how Auburntown manages to remain incorporated. It has a population under 300 and only a single business; not even a convenience store, low-end restaurant nor Dollar General. Such a municipality would have more than them at least.
As for the dragstrip, I bet that'd be on the edge of the city limits if that were included at all; that's actually closer to Gentry than Buffalo Valley, and including Gentry would have virtually no other benefit. But on the other hand, at least they wouldn't have to pay a bit extra to repost speed limit signs on Rock Springs, which is already 25 mph as of summer 2019 (surely infuriating for a lot of western Putnam County traveling towards Nashville).
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Buffalo Valley did used to have a thriving little commercial area where the current post office is. Who knows, someday it might reach the point where it'll be revitalized (I hope so), and maybe at that point there will be enough demand to incorporate as a separate municipality. But right now, there's absolutely no reason to do so.
I hope it redevelops too, and not just for personal reasons nor so it can incorporate. The old convenience store/hotel is literally falling to pieces and has been for sale, yet seemingly no one wants to buy and replace/rebuild it even though it's right by the interstate, near the lake, near the river and in a town without competition. I wonder, what will it take to kickstart that; maybe us becoming a metro area? I feel that incorporating might encourage it, which goes with my first point. If nothing else, could the big creek's floodplain be stopping them (but then again, it has a high foundation elevating it above the floodplain)?
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But it is fun to think what the name of this new municipality would be. Buffalo Point? Silver Valley?
Two obvious choices. Two more would be to simply carry one of the existing names, and a fifth to combine them like Gruetli-Laager. Otherwise, maybe Caney City? Lakeside? Center Hill City? West Putnam? Indian Creek? Big Creek City? Riverside? So many possibilities for names; I bet if this happened, whatever name won would do so pretty narrowly and not even with a single close competitor.
Last edited by Sun Belt-lover L.A.M.; 04-06-2020 at 06:46 PM..
Encouraging commercial development, and as I mentioned in the OP, to hopefully stop subdivision development from getting out of control in western Putnam County (keeping suburban residential development mostly along the I-40 corridor and encouraging apartment development).
Does every area need commercial development? If you want that, there's plenty of it a little further west. I, for one, don't want my home county turned into a big city with all of those additional problems. We already have enough growing pains as it is.
I specifically said that northwestern Putnam County and Gentry/Cole's Store shouldn't be affected. Also, the mountains between Cookeville and Monterey are fine as long as both of them are active. However, Silver Point kind of already has some which could be expanded upon, and Buffalo Valley and Double Springs are a different story.
As for Nashville, there are some often overlooked rural residential areas of Davidson County in the west and northwest. So even Davidson County itself isn't as full of commercial development as many of us think, although the flat areas and Joelton are with the rest easily overlooked.
I specifically said that northwestern Putnam County and Gentry/Cole's Store shouldn't be affected. Also, the mountains between Cookeville and Monterey are fine as long as both of them are active. However, Silver Point kind of already has some which could be expanded upon, and Buffalo Valley and Double Springs are a different story.
As for Nashville, there are some often overlooked rural residential areas of Davidson County in the west and northwest. So even Davidson County itself isn't as full of commercial development as many of us think, although the flat areas and Joelton are with the rest easily overlooked.
What I am trying to say is that if people in Silver Point and Buffalo Valley wanted their area to expand, I'm sure we would hear about it. I think those areas are perfectly fine the way they are. Cookeville's amenities aren't very far away. Also, just out of curiosity, do you live in our area?
What I am trying to say is that if people in Silver Point and Buffalo Valley wanted their area to expand, I'm sure we would hear about it. I think those areas are perfectly fine the way they are. Cookeville's amenities aren't very far away. Also, just out of curiosity, do you live in our area?
Agreed. I live out this way. I and the rest of us (my neighbors) live out here precisely because it's not in the city. Our taxes are lower, and we have more freedom to do what we want on our own land. I've not heard anyone around me clamoring to have this area become its own municipality. The cost-to-benefits ratio in adding another level of taxes and bureaucracy just isn't there. Now, if someday this area starts getting carved up with a bunch of new subdivisions, it might happen, although with our very hilly topography I don't see that happening, either. This area is thoroughly rural and very sparsely populated. It doesn't make sense to become a new town right now.
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its - possession
it's - contraction of it is
your - possession
you're - contraction of you are
their - possession
they're - contraction of they are
there - referring to a place
loose - opposite of tight
lose - opposite of win
who's - contraction of who is
whose - possession
alot - NOT A WORD
I appreciate this young person's enthusiasm for development...and if I recall correctly, he/she lives in Baxter/western Putnam County. However, even the most optimistic of us are encumbered by pragmatism when it comes to state funded projects and the state's "Pay as You Go" budget for highway infrastructure.
Also, just out of curiosity, do you live in our area?
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Originally Posted by tragenvol
I appreciate this young person's enthusiasm for development...and if I recall correctly, he/she lives in Baxter/western Putnam County. However, even the most optimistic of us are encumbered by pragmatism when it comes to state funded projects and the state's "Pay as You Go" budget for highway infrastructure.
He, and northwestern Putnam County. That's how I can be half an hour from Cookeville but an hour from Nashville and Murfreesboro; U.S. 70N is so curvy, and the roads in this part of the county are neglected to the point that even a few through roads important to the area aren't asphalt with lines (e.g. Ensor Hollow, Martin Creek). Meanwhile, Rock Springs gets lowered to 25 mph despite it being important for most of this sixth of the county and the two reasonable alternatives having even bigger cons (one is indirect, while the other has the same problem as Ensor Hollow and Martin Creek). Somewhat remote; many of us are actually a bit closer to Carthage than Cookeville.
However, I still don't believe Gentry, Cole's Store nor a completely townless area should incorporate nor develop, and my point about controlling sprawl actually goes against any supposed notion that "the entire county should develop". NW Putnam County is so remote that even Country Corner and the old auction house in Gentry closed without being replaced; nothing lasts long this way, and entrepreneurs are even less likely to want anywhere in NW Putnam County than that old store in Buffalo Valley.
The interstate and lake would at least give Buffalo Valley and Silver Point some potential, not to mention westbound through traffic from most of the county passes through those areas. Also, people in NW Putnam County would probably be as furious as those living in the mountains bordering the Plateau if their area developed, which is another reason I suggested SW.
Anyways, any ideas on what such a Silver Point-Buffalo Valley municipality would likely be named?
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