Crossville, TN where nothing is safe from eminent domain (Lake Tansi: live in, money)
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Strange because on my trips over the Cumberland plateau, in all directions, I never imagined there was a water problem. In my experience, adjacent counties don't look as though they might have a shortage. What, with the Cumberland river and so on. It's a wet area, by and large, with waterfalls and such.
And....the Crossville Chamber of Commerce website:[url=http://www.crossville-chamber.com/economic_development.php?pg=9]Crossville Chamber - Economic Development - Utilities/Energy[/url]
says this:
"Water from two area lakes provides abundant resources for the Crossville area (7.5 million GPD)"
Strange because on my trips over the Cumberland plateau, in all directions, I never imagined there was a water problem. In my experience, adjacent counties don't look as though they might have a shortage. What, with the Cumberland river and so on. It's a wet area, by and large, with waterfalls and such.
And....the Crossville Chamber of Commerce website:Crossville Chamber - Economic Development - Utilities/Energy
says this:
"Water from two area lakes provides abundant resources for the Crossville area (7.5 million GPD)"
Crossville is pretty far from the Cumberland River and from the large TVA and COE lakes that the rest of the Upper Cumberland enjoys. The well-documented drought in the area the last couple of years were particularly hard on Crossville which had to place water restrictions that weren't lifted until this past April.
I remember watching a news report from 2008 which showed that Crossville was in desperate need of some rain because its municipal lakes were down to just a few days worth of water. (It did eventually rain.)
On the bright side, Promega Biosciences in San Luis Obispo, CA is paying a premium for lightning bugs in the Crossville area because the drought from the last couple of years meant there's a shortage of fireflies in the area.
And, fortunately, the drought of the last couple of years was HIGHLY unusual.
Crossville is pretty far from the Cumberland River and from the large TVA and COE lakes that the rest of the Upper Cumberland enjoys. The well-documented drought in the area the last couple of years were particularly hard on Crossville which had to place water restrictions that weren't lifted until this past April.
I remember watching a news report from 2008 which showed that Crossville was in desperate need of some rain because its municipal lakes were down to just a few days worth of water. (It did eventually rain.)
On the bright side, Promega Biosciences in San Luis Obispo, CA is paying a premium for lightning bugs in the Crossville area because the drought from the last couple of years meant there's a shortage of fireflies in the area.
And, fortunately, the drought of the last couple of years was HIGHLY unusual.
Glad to hear that it has been raining in this area. I've heard that this part of Tennessee has had a lot of rain during the spring and summer months this year. Is the drought officially over?
Glad to hear that it has been raining in this area. I've heard that this part of Tennessee has had a lot of rain during the spring and summer months this year. Is the drought officially over?
In my area of southern Middle Tennessee, it was declared over this past spring...
I have really mixed feelings about eminent domain. and certainly mixed feelings bout that article posted by soulful. I understand better the reasons for the city's actions, but as a libertarian/personal rights kind of guy, I sure hate any infringement upon the right to own property.
...and as someone who grew up on a ranch that irrigated and OWNED water rights, the writers comment at the end of the article just rubbed me wrong.
Not long after the Supreme Court upheld municipalities authority to take personal property so they can generate greater tax revenues, didn't Tennessee's legislature pass a much-ballyhooed law outlawing that type of action? It's one thing if part of my property is taken for a road or something like that, but to take my property so Walmart can build on it and the city will get more tax revenue from it instead of my little paltry property tax? That concept is just plain, flat-out wrong--I don't care if it would be for the good of the whole.
It's all well and good until the whiny guy moves next to YOU...
I understand what you are saying and I fully agree.
But the OP seemed like he was blaming the entire state of Tennessee. If it was phrased differently I would have reacted differently.
From what I understand, the state law doesn't have much teeth, but even though I too, am a transplant, I sometimes don't like the "that's not the way we did it where I'm from" attitude.
Quote:
Originally Posted by skinem
In my area of southern Middle Tennessee, it was declared over this past spring...
I have really mixed feelings about eminent domain. and certainly mixed feelings bout that article posted by soulful. I understand better the reasons for the city's actions, but as a libertarian/personal rights kind of guy, I sure hate any infringement upon the right to own property.
...and as someone who grew up on a ranch that irrigated and OWNED water rights, the writers comment at the end of the article just rubbed me wrong.
Not long after the Supreme Court upheld municipalities authority to take personal property so they can generate greater tax revenues, didn't Tennessee's legislature pass a much-ballyhooed law outlawing that type of action? It's one thing if part of my property is taken for a road or something like that, but to take my property so Walmart can build on it and the city will get more tax revenue from it instead of my little paltry property tax? That concept is just plain, flat-out wrong--I don't care if it would be for the good of the whole.
I wonder what people expect when they move to an area where there are not a lot of natural water sources available without infringing on other areas. I betcha the reason that the Crossville area wasn't hugely populated until recently was because of lack of water. But now, developers move in and develop, people move in and elbow everyone out of their way. Gee, how about changing the growth projections? Think about what the land will support, not what you can take from your neighbors. Do without a few of those golf courses. And, if your negotiations fail, they fail - resorting to eminent domain looks like you think the other people aren't as important as you are.
The people in Tansi would be more than happy to give our water to the good citizens of Crossville if they needed it to survive. Unfortuneately, the City of Crossville is selling the water outside of Cumberland County for good money. The residents of Crossville would have plenty of water if the City would look to their needs and not to profit from water sales. Lake Tansi will not solve the water shortage problem. It is only a band aid approach. The lake is very shallow and will be drained quickly and then another source will have to be found. The City has ticked off several other municipalities that would have been able to help provide all the water they would need for the next 50 years. As far as growth being faster than the area can handle, it was the City of Crossville that promoted retirees coming down for the beautiful lakes. Crossville is a good example of City Fathers encouraging growth first and then fixing the infastructure later. Don't blame the retirees who came down here lured by the call of the City of Crossville. Instead blame the City who wanted to brag about a large influx of retirees without planning out the needs of its own citizens.
Crossville is a good example of City Fathers encouraging growth first and then fixing the infastructure later. Don't blame the retirees who came down here lured by the call of the City of Crossville. Instead blame the City who wanted to brag about a large influx of retirees without planning out the needs of its own citizens.
The people in Tansi would be more than happy to give our water to the good citizens of Crossville if they needed it to survive. Unfortuneately, the City of Crossville is selling the water outside of Cumberland County for good money. The residents of Crossville would have plenty of water if the City would look to their needs and not to profit from water sales. Lake Tansi will not solve the water shortage problem. It is only a band aid approach. The lake is very shallow and will be drained quickly and then another source will have to be found. The City has ticked off several other municipalities that would have been able to help provide all the water they would need for the next 50 years. As far as growth being faster than the area can handle, it was the City of Crossville that promoted retirees coming down for the beautiful lakes. Crossville is a good example of City Fathers encouraging growth first and then fixing the infastructure later. Don't blame the retirees who came down here lured by the call of the City of Crossville. Instead blame the City who wanted to brag about a large influx of retirees without planning out the needs of its own citizens.
It's not your water. Furthermore:
Quote:
Another topic brought up by opponents is the small number of customers that the city has outside of Cumberland County. The claim is that the city will sell Tansi water to make a profit. One problem with that untrue accusation is that the city water department is not a “for profit” operation.
quote]The people in Tansi would be more than happy to give our water to the good citizens of Crossville if they needed it to survive. Unfortuneately, the City of Crossville is selling the water outside of Cumberland County for good money. The residents of Crossville would have plenty of water if the City would look to their needs and not to profit from water sales. Lake Tansi will not solve the water shortage problem. It is only a band aid approach. The lake is very shallow and will be drained quickly and then another source will have to be found. The City has ticked off several other municipalities that would have been able to help provide all the water they would need for the next 50 years. [/quote]
This is not what I have been reading. I don’t think the good people of tansi would be giving their water away “The city has offered a one-time payment of $500,000 to the Lake Tansi POA for the water rights.”.
From what the articles stated this is to be emergency action in times of drought until permanent projects are completed not draining the lake to make a profit. “The city proposes to harvest water from Lake Tansi to fill Meadow Park Lake following expansion of the dam; to supply drinking water during construction of the expanded Meadow Park Lake; and to act as an emergency water supply in the event of a federally designated emergency drought.”
quote]As far as growth being faster than the area can handle, it was the City of Crossville that promoted retirees coming down for the beautiful lakes. Crossville is a good example of City Fathers encouraging growth first and then fixing the infastructure later. Don't blame the retirees who came down here lured by the call of the City of Crossville. Instead blame the City who wanted to brag about a large influx of retirees without planning out the needs of its own citizens[/quote]
Why is it never the retirees fault. Always the city, the state, the developer, even the locals. People are complaining, disillutioned, over sequatchie and wilder developments, I over hear residents of cumberland cove complain about their POA, folks that moved here and bought at cumberland lakes development are complaining about the sand plant and now tansi residents are whinning about water rights. I have read sooo many post of people chomping at the bit to move here ready to snatch up low land prices and take advantage of the low taxes, looking for a private developments with views, no crime, good schools, seculded but close to ...blah blah blah. They come without doing sufficient research, find out this is not their paradise, then want to blame everyone else for being inconvienced. If you are so eaisly lured, Ive got some swamp land in FL....
ok rant over.
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