GALLATIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — Vickie Hendrick stands on the gravel driveway next to the farmhouse.
The Butler farmland — filled with cattle, buttercups and barns — sits next to 300 acres that emulate the same. Across the street, houses are going up in a subdivision. But on either side of her, farmland still sits. Sans the occasional cow balling, the farm is a quiet respite from the rest of the city.
On Tuesday night, the Gallatin City Council could change the landscape on Lock 4 Road. That land could undergo a development that will produce exactly 675 houses on 295 acres.
That is alarming to Hendrick, who has owned the farm beside the proposed development for decades. Hendrick has been trying to call attention to this proposed development for months. She's written letters, attended city council meetings and spoken at public comment.
Listen to my interview with Vickie and how she feels about the development.
"We've been lied to. After it was annexed in November, they started changing their mind," Hendrick, standing alongside her other neighbors who are just as concerned.
Farmland is disappearing all across the state. In 2027, the state could forfeit 2 million of land to development, according to a study from the University of Tennessee.
"I think if we don't do something, we are not only going to lose our food, but I mean, we are going to lose our air," Hendrick said.
How much land Sumner County has lost
From 2014 until 2023, Sumner County lost more than 15,000 acres of land to development — both residential and commercial.
On average, 63,537 acres are developed on a yearly basis in Tennessee, according to UT economist Charley Martinez. However since 2017, that number shot up to an average of more than 86,000 acres.
Sumner County ranks ninth in Tennessee for farmland transitioning to houses or commercial real estate since 2017.
Mary Genung — who has Lock 4 Road in her district and lives there — talks with me about her relationship with the city council and the Sumner County Commission.
"It's just amazing how many people care and how no one is listening to what we are saying. We are all frustrated," Lina Marler said. She is one farmer over from the proposed development. Her family has owned that land since the 1950s.
City council member Pascal Jouvence — whose district contains Lock 4 Road — said he will vote down on the project. He said his constituents
want to protect farmland, and that they were 100% against the proposal.
"It's a beautiful place," Jouvence said. "These people had the chance to make something that was going to be beautiful and showcase of what we can do in Gallatin and they are doing the opposite."
You can see the map of the proposed project below.
What the developer has to say
For Gallatin resident and engineer Jim Harrison, he feels like it's not so simple.
"As a Gallatin resident and engineer on the Banks of Lock 4, I feel like it's very important to care for our land and natural resources as we design our neighborhoods," Harrison said.
Harrison said they made adjustments to the plan and did try to make an effort to speak with those who were concerned. He said they have also added greenspace to the park to support trails, open space and other recreational opportunities on the property.
"We didn’t just want to do lower density. We wanted to create housing choices in a new neighborhood," Harrison said. "It’s not just been trimming. It’s been adapting and approving the plan and to make sure we make it better. That’s what you will see in the plan."
The Gallatin City Council will have the final vote on the property Tuesday, April 16, at 6 p.m.
Watch Jim talk about how he feels about development as someone who grew up in Gallatin in the player below.
Farmland and Tennessee
Are you seeing farmland disappearing or land changing in your neighborhood? Please tell me.
I have been working on stories about the tug between agriculture and development. I came to this topic because of a line in a press release from August from the University of Tennessee Agricultural Institute. It pointed to a study about disappearing farmland an economist had done. I found the economist, talked with him and compiled the data for our viewing area for NewsChannel 5, which covers 45 Tennessee counties.
I am now exploring how this affects you. If you want to talk, my email is emily.west@newschannel5.com.
