Numerous Lebanon neighbors oppose development along Hornsprings Road

LEBANON, Tenn. (WKRN) — Dozens of neighbors packed a Lebanon Planning Commission meeting to speak out against a residential development along their street.

However, the developer said the project could potentially save a Lebanon golf course from going into bankruptcy and would create an “economic generator.”

“I’m going to ask you before I’m done tonight to show some care for the citizens on Hornsprings Road because we’ve been done around,” one man said during the public comment period.

On Tuesday, July 23, Lebanon neighbors attended the planning commission meeting to oppose a potential development along Hornsprings Road.

“How do you propose a 274-unit development on 106 acres that will add [500] to 600 cars to our little, curvy, narrow road?” the man asked.

That’s just one concern among the neighbors who spoke out against the project.

“You’re trying to cram 274 homes where 35 homes should belong,” one woman said.

However, a representative for David Weekly Homes said the development will prevent the Five Oaks Golf and Country Club from going into bankruptcy after the developer offered a partnership.

“Additionally, this proposed neighborhood will be a 55-plus senior living community, which has no burden on schools and provides an opportunity for those already living in the Five Oaks neighborhoods to age in place and downsize into a smaller home,” said David Lowry from David Weekly Homes.

While future development is the price of growth in Wilson County, Ward 6 Councilman Phil Morehead said the city has projects in the pipeline already approved years ago with no sunset provision.

“There are literally thousands of units between apartments, condos, and single-family [homes] on the books that could be developed within the city of Lebanon, and we have no say so,” Morehead said.

According to Morehead, he is against the development after seeing the overwhelming number of neighbors against it.

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“I called the developer and just said, ‘Based on everything I heard last night, I no longer can support this project.’ The will of the people, if you will, was more powerful than the dollar,” Morehead told News 2.

The planning commission voted to deny the development Tuesday night. However, the developer can now ask for the plan to go to the Lebanon City Council, which would take two readings to pass or fail.

News 2 reached out to the developer about what they plan to do moving forward, but as of publication, we have not heard back.

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