Perot company says Tennessee industrial park appeal in works after denial, tractor protest

• A Texas-based company seeking to develop a large industrial park in rural Wilson County has appealed negative votes by planning commissioners in order to go before the Wilson County Commission.
• Area landowners organized a tractor parade to protest an industrial park plan in June.

The company connected to the Ross Perot family says it will continue to pursue plans to build a huge industrial park in rural Wilson County despite a June denial from the planning commission and a tractor protest from area farmers.

Texas-based Hillwood has appealed the planning commission’s decision to deny rezone and land use plan amendment requests needed to develop the industrial park and now seeks approval from the Wilson County Commission.

But Hillwood doesn't plan to go before commissioners until Dec. 16, still more than five months away, because the company said it still wants to partner with the community.

“We plan to keep it at the forefront,” area landowner Perry Neal said about the wait between meetings. “This will either be a win or lose deal. From our point of view, there is not a compromise.

“They’ve gone to the trouble and expense to go this far… we didn’t expect they would pack up and go home. I am a little disappointed it’s not until December.”

Conceptual plans have shown 10.35 million square feet of industrial style office, warehousing and light manufacturing space to an approximate 1,380-acre location is near Linwood and Bluebird Roads just off Interstate 40 in eastern Wilson County.

Hillwood representatives said the project could bring 3,400 direct jobs over 15 years and a combination of more than 6,400 direct and indirect jobs in all with projections of more than $138 million in local taxes.

Hillwood sent the following statement after reaching its decision to appeal:

“Hillwood is fully committed to bringing thousands of jobs, developing agricultural education opportunities, and preserving hundreds of acres in Wilson County. We look forward to continuing to engage with the community and partnering with them on this project.”

Hillwood had 10 days to appeal in writing the planning commission’s negative recommendations on June 21. The planning commission denied the land use plan amendment by a vote of 8-2 and the rezone was unanimously voted down.

The long wait time Hillwood requested to bring its rezone and land use plan amendment requests back to the county commission isn’t typical for appeal cases, Wilson County Planner Christopher Lawless said.

The appeal that goes before the county commission for review will have to be the same essential concept to what the planning commission reviewed and voted on, Lawless said.

“There may be some minor revisions to the plan based on more input, but the overall plan will have to remain similar to what was presented at planning commission,” Lawless said in an email.

Wilson County is also in the process of updating its land use plan, which Lawless said could be approved late this year or by early 2025. The impact to the Hillwood proposal if the land use plan is changed by the county commission meeting in December was uncertain.

Right now the land use plan for the area Hillwood is looking to develop is considered high density residential, Lawless said.

The county’s land use plan survey is still accepting data.

Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on X, formerly known as Twitter @ AndyHumbles.