Williamson county residents, what do you guys think about this article (Franklin: transplants, cheap apartments)

[septimus]

I should add...

I wonder what will happen to rental rates with all the new developments coming on line. Dwell and the complex at Moores/Franklin Rd have a lot of units, as does that new complex across from Nissan will too. Now there is another huge apartment complex before BOMA this week off carothers.

That should put some downward pressure on older but decent complexes Royal Oaks and other parts of town.

I'm a little worried about the impact on the schools too. We can't build school fast enough around here.

[bmrisko]

Originally Posted by septimus

I wonder what will happen to rental rates with all the new developments coming on line. Dwell and the complex at Moores/Franklin Rd have a lot of units, as does that new complex across from Nissan will too. Now there is another huge apartment complex before BOMA this week off carothers.

Apparently the article's author is unaware of all these developments in the works. If I am not mistaken, there is also a large condo development being built off Franklin Rd, in the heart of Brentwood, to the north of the Stein Mart/Homegoods shopping center.

Originally Posted by septimus

I should add...
I'm a little worried about the impact on the schools too. We can't build school fast enough around here.

DING DING DING...as you should be. No one seems to consider the impact of high density population on schools and how to subsequently fund the growth. This is a huge reason why some areas still want to be zoned for low-density residential.

[bspray]

Originally Posted by septimus

It seems that people only move to Brentwood for the schools.

Almost every person coming on here says they are looking for a neighborhood with walkability and good schools. That is somewhat of an option in Franklin, but not at an option at all in Brentwood and I suspect Brentwood may regret its stance in 30 years.

A lot of people also move to Brentwood without kids, they have no interest in the school system. They move there for the peace and tranquility of not having a neighbor's window two feet away from their house. They don't care about walkability.

There are plenty of places in Nashville where you can get a walkable neighborhood and high density if you want it. To suggest that people that don't want it should have to allow it simply because those residents have created a great school system that high density fans want access to is ridiculous.

The reality is, if higher density living options come online in Brentwood, the schools won't stay the caliber they are for long. They won't be able to sustain the level of quality while servicing such a large number of new students in a small area of town.

[anz]

[SIZE=3]Be careful for what you wish for. I live in Buffalo (and trying like hell to get down to Spring Hill). Our police officers get paid $75,000 a year and my property taxes are $5000. The more you pay for government employees, the higher your taxes. I agree that the housing in Franklin is expensive, that’s why were looking into Spring Hill. [/SIZE]

[septimus]

Originally Posted by bmrisko

Apparently the article's author is unaware of all these developments in the works. If I am not mistaken, there is also a large condo development being built off Franklin Rd, in the heart of Brentwood, to the north of the Stein Mart/Homegoods shopping center.



DING DING DING...as you should be. No one seems to consider the impact of high density population on schools and how to subsequently fund the growth. This is a huge reason why some areas still want to be zoned for low-density residential.

I think the project in Brentwood is dead.

I'm not worried about the "type" of students in our schools, I'm merely worried about the infrastructure to support them.

I think it was sickening to hear mothers in Brentwood last fall be quoted in the paper essentially saying they didn't want kids living in apartments in her school referring to the "luxury apartments" at the corner of Moores Lane and Franklin Road.

[nashvols]

Originally Posted by septimus

I think the project in Brentwood is dead.

I'm not worried about the "type" of students in our schools, I'm merely worried about the infrastructure to support them.

I think it was sickening to hear mothers in Brentwood last fall be quoted in the paper essentially saying they didn't want kids living in apartments in her school referring to the "luxury apartments" at the corner of Moores Lane and Franklin Road.

The Hill proposal (Franklin Rd at Maryland Way) is dead. Tapestry -- which is a condo development -- is underway (back near the Kroger shopping center near Office Depot) after a slow start and long delays. That proposal was met with quite a bit of resistance as well.


Not to stray too far from the original topic -- but a lot of the proposals aren't really about 'affordable housing'...a condo or apartment development in Brentwood is probably going to run quite a bit higher than what most young professionals could afford -- the target there is more about the established single professionals, couples (especially without kids) looking for a place near work where they don't have to maintain a 1 acre lot/4-5,000 sq ft house, and retirees and empty nesters looking to downsize. You probably will have kids in some of those apartments/condos (especially from those with some money, but not enough for an average Brentwood home, and who desperately want to take advantage of local schools). I think the projections for the number of students that would actually come from these developments is pretty high. IMO, the target is people without kids. People with kids that want to live in Brentwood are still much more likely to look for a house.

The opposition to the higher density projects focuses on things like crime and schools because those are issues that will generate a more emotional reaction from the residents. In reality, I think they are way off with the demographic that will actually inhabit those proposals.

[brentwoodgirl]

Why the knock on just Williamson County? I would like to live in Belle Meade, specifically on Belle Meade Blvd. It's an absolutely stunning street. But I can't afford it. And if we found a house that we liked in our budget in Belle Meade, we wouldn't be able to afford the private schools that most kids in that area attend.

Green Hills, 12South, East Nashville, Gulch have all gotten much more expensive over the past 15 years.
The first townhouse I bought in Green Hills was $120,000. That same townhouse today is selling for about $250,000. No one is complaining in the papers about that.

There are apartments and condos in Williamson County. Plenty in Franklin and some in Brentwood. And lots of affordable housing in other parts of the county. And you can find condos inexpensively close to downtown Franklin. And I don't mean in some of the big, not as nice complexes. I've seen condos for sale in nice, smaller, older complexes in downtown Franklin for sale for less than $75,000. They take a bit more work to find, checking Craigslist, driving by the complexes to watch for FSBO signs, but they are out there.

Even when I moved to Nashville in 1999, it was hard to find a one bedroom in a nice part of town for $600. Heck, I paid more than that for a one bedroom in Memphis in a medium part of town.

In any town, finding a rental in a desirable part of town with a lower than average budget will always be a hard task. That's not unique to Williamson County. Had she come to this board and said she wanted to rent a one bedroom somewhere nice in Nashville for $600, she would have immediately been told that her budget was too low for most parts of Nashville and that it would be hard.

But when she writes an article in the paper saying the same thing about Williamson County, that turns into a lamenting about building codes and snobby people.

[ccdscott]

The opposition to the higher density projects focuses on things like crime and schools because those are issues that will generate a more emotional reaction from the residents.

That emotional reaction is F.E.A.R.

I agree with nashvols, the amount of rich students that will flock to these is very small. They'd much prefer Gulch and 12 South than Brentwood.

[Big TR]

Maslow and his hierarchy of needs laugh at this writer.

There are many apartment communities IN FRANKLIN where she could get with 2 friends, put in $600 each and rent a 3 BR apartment. It would be trendy, have a pool, exercise facility, etc. Give me a break.

If you want to live where you grew up but can't because you don't make enough money, it sounds to me like you need to work harder and make more money. That way you can then afford the lifestyle you think is owed to you through your birthright.

[bspray]

Originally Posted by ccdscott

That emotional reaction is F.E.A.R.

I agree with nashvols, the amount of rich students that will flock to these is very small. They'd much prefer Gulch and 12 South than Brentwood.

We're not comparing apples to apples. I agree with Nashvols, if a high density complex were to be built in Brentwood, it wouldn't be an 'affordable living community' which the author is requesting. It would be very expensive. I think it is naive though, to think a development like that wouldn't further strain an infrastructure that already struggles with excessive traffic.

On the other hand, if an affordable living, high density complex were to be built, either in Brentwood or Franklin, you can bet that crime would increase and you can bet that would put a burden on the school systems in that area. You can call it fear tactics or fear based misinformation all you want. While there probably will be high character residents moving in, a low income development is also going to attract people of low character. Crime will go up and the schools will be stressed.

Is it fair to say expensive high density development will bring crime and stress school systems? Probably not, but it will stress the traffic infrastructure. But, it is fair to say low income, high density housing will bring crime and stress schools, absolutely.