Wilson County
Comprehensive community plans
Nestled in the very heart of Middle Tennessee, Wilson County boasts an abundance of economic, community, and natural assets. With a population of about 115,000 mostly concentrated in three incorporated cities—the county seat Lebanon, the largest city Mt. Juliet, and Watertown—Wilson offers a respite from fast-paced Nashville while still maintaining a vibrant community. To preserve the future of that community, citizens of Lebanon enlisted the aid of CRT and the AIA in 2007 for
Visioning Workshops focusing on town center revitalization and transit-oriented development. As a pilot project for quality growth, the city is currently formulating its final plan, in conjunction with county-wide proposals.
Wilson is also collaborating with its neighbors Robertson and Sumner Counties to draft a
Tri-County Land Use Plan with the aid of the
Nashville MPO. Work began in April 2008 and the results were incorporated into the
MPO’s 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan, CRT hosted the unveiling of the plan at the Power of Ten Summit in May, 2010. Like its partner counties, Wilson County’s comprehensive plan will build from the findings of the Tri-County Plan. The first round of public meetings were held in early March regarding the county's priorities and land use, with further forums planned well into the summer.
Design for protection and enhancement of community character
The Square in downtown Lebanon defines the community, so maintaining and enhancing it is of utmost importance to Lebanon residents, and their planning efforts focus heavily on redevelopment and historic preservation. Workshop participants envisioned a major streetscaping project for the town square and surrounding business district, thereby creating a more noticeable “gateway” into the city. Since the true impact of further settlement on the aging buildings of the area remain ambiguous, engineers are conducting more exacting studies to allow future development initiatives to move forward with full knowledge of their effect on the older built environment. The city is already offering historic preservation tax incentives to stimulate adaptive reuse projects in the square.
Housing
Of the three counties participating in the Tri-County plan, Wilson boasts the highest predicted employment growth, at approximately 2.1% annually through 2035. Therefore, expanding and revitalizing the county housing stock with respect to smart growth principles will be critical in the coming decades. Again, Lebanon citizens want to focus housing renovations on the Square, opening a series of residential lofts intertwined with the commercial functions of the area.
Conservation
Although the existing documentation for community planning in Wilson prioritizes historic preservation and transportation over conservation, the county is certainly conscientious of environmental impacts. Lebanon and many other Wilson municipalities especially battle extensive floodplains in their development efforts. Building in such sensitive areas can be both ecologically and financially detrimental, especially if flood damage compromises the integrity of a structure. To discourage floodplain settlement, Lebanon planners have suggested building a man-made lake on the south end of the city as both a flood control device and a public amenity. The county also plans to conserve stretches of the Cumberland River to both protect it and increase its value to tourism and recreation.
Land use and transportation
Wilson planners are prioritizing transit-oriented development, cultivating a variety of transportation options that weave seamlessly throughout the county. Most notably, the Music City Star has provided regional train service between Lebanon and Nashville since 2006, the first major transit connection to Nashville that operates outside of Davidson County. Currently the Star operates with a daily ridership of nearly 1000, and ridership is expected to grow as gas prices spike for the summer and the stations become more easily accessible without a vehicle.
By clustering land use densely around key transit points, Wilson can encourage alternative transportation without compromising aesthetic value. For example, workshop agents suggested that a greenway connect the central transit station in Lebanon with the city’s most visited locations. Specifically, they hope to create walkable/bikeable connections between Cumberland University, the Castle Heights campus and its surrounding neighborhoods. Many such projects are already underway. However, America remains a car-oriented nation, and Lebanon also faces a parking crisis downtown that will require a new parking structure even as it advances alternative options. The city intends to label the Square a Tax Increment Financing District to encourage reinvestment and parking projects.
Use of Existing Infrastructure
Since Wilson’s construction industry has weathered the recent housing bust better than its neighboring counties, the county has been expanding its sewer services and thereby further attracting developers. Although this may be economically desirable in the short-term, the county must carefully consider the future costs of new infrastructure. By focusing on transit-oriented development around the Music City Star line, however, the county can incentivize settlement in existing, higher density areas.
Thinking and acting regionally
By working in conjunction with the Nashville MPO and its neighbors, Wilson County sets an admirable example for regional action. As Lebanon and its sister cities grow and feed into Nashville all the more in the coming decades, collaborative planning can only increase in importance. Thankfully, Wilson County has taken the first of many steps for smart growth.