Your Voice Must Be Heard

Although it seems that preservation efforts for the former Charlotte Avenue Church of Christ are moving forward, there are still a few bumps in the road that must be dealt with. The historic overlay bill has passed its first reading and still has two more before it becomes legit. Before its second reading there are two separate public hearings that are being held - one by the Planning Commission and the other at the March 4 Council meeting prior to the bill's second reading.

These public hearings are important because it shows the MPC and the Council how much support or opposition there is for this particular bill. The church has been very good about mobilizing themselves and voicing their opinion on the matter. The community has had its share of representation, but we as the community need much much more.

The church's argument is a monetary one. They claim that all of this "historic stuff" is stalling the process and financially strapping them in light of their monthly $10K mortgage payments. Well, for starters they could have made the closing on their new property contingent on the sale of the old one to avoid the mess they are in now. Secondly, we are asking them to compromise and take the offer from one of the two developers (who are offering market value) rather than the inflated bid from Rite Aid.

There are so many reasons why a Rite Aid is WRONG for that corner (look for posts on this soon). We need to hear your voice to save the church and avoid a catastrophic blow to the future development of Charlotte Avenue. Please make an effort to attend one - or preferably both - public hearings so that the MPC and Metro Council can hear just how seriously the community is taking this issue. Below are the dates and locations:

Thursday, February 28th - 4:00pm
Metro Planning Commission Public Hearing
Metro Southeast
1417 Murfreesboro Pike
Green Hills Conference Room

Tuesday, March 4th - 6:00pm
Metro Council Public Hearing
Metro Courthouse
1 Public Square
(Corner of 3rd ave. N and Union St.)

Your attendance is essential and appreciated.