Economic plan developing for Tenn. 385
With an eye on the future and a canvas of vacant land, county officials and other consultants are developing a blueprint to enhance economic development on selected sites in the Tenn. 385/Interstate 269 corridor.
The emerging longrange vision is in the early stages, but consultants, along with the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Sustainability, which is conducting the study for Shelby County government, have started a series of meetings to open dialogue with the public.
The plan was presented recently at a session in Bartlett that drew not only residents in the corridor that skirts the outer edges of Shelby County, but also folks from Memphis concerned about how the transportation ring will encourage urban sprawl.
The highway will eventually run from Millington on the north side, where it is known as Paul Barret Parkway, to Arlington where it bends south. The section between Arlington and Collierville, which includes the last incomplete stretch, is known as Winfield Dunn Parkway, and the southeast route from Collierville to the Interstate 240 junction near the Mount Moriah exit is named for former county mayor Bill Morris. Much of the area on the east and north legs is rural in nature and undeveloped, providing open spaces that planners can work.
“The county wanted to figure out what can we do to make sure that development along this corridor is the best it can be,” said Paul Young, administrator for the Office of Sustainability. “What we decided was, for a region, everybody wins when you have large-scale economic development opportunities.”
The study group included suburban and Memphis chamber of commerce leaders, economic development groups across Shelby County, along with representatives from Fayette County and consultants to craft the plan.
John Threadgill of the Bartlett Area Chamber of Commerce said he considers the study “extremely important” to get the best plans for the thousands of acres suitable for development.
“The question is, are we going to use it wisely, or are we going to do it foolishly?” Threadgill said. “That’s what this is about — starting a real sensible approach and strategic approach of how we plan the development of Shelby County.
The group’s initial review whittled 18 potential sites to 11, which are still under study. Those include properties like two 1,200-plus-acre sites in Millington near the rail line and the Barret Parkway, and an 1,100-acre tract near Macon Road on the east side of the county near the Fayette County border. There is another cluster of three sites in the southeast corner of the county near the Collierville-Piperton area.
A number of factors, such as accessibility, environmental impact, infrastructure and the surrounding uses, were considered when evaluating the potential sites. Some were eliminated because of proximity to schools and residential areas.
Kathy Bryson, who lives in Fayette County near the Macon Road site, says she has watched the progress since last fall when other meetings were held about development in the corridor. “I was just curious to see what people were saying,” Bryson said. “I understand planning, but I’m curious as to how flexible they are.”
Steven Sondheim of the Sierra Club expressed concern that the highway and the development encourage urban sprawl.
“We’re spreading out too much,” he said. “What spreading out does is cause more driving at a time when we have air quality problems. ... If we have a chance to attract industry, why are we attracting it in such a spread-out manner?”