Comprehensive Community Plans
Cheatham County encompasses a heavily forested, gently rolling landscape that is home to more than 39,000 residents. Though Cheatham County lacks a county-wide comprehensive plan, county cities have taken the initiative to draft their own community plans.
Kingston Springs
With the aid of Cumberland Region Tomorrow, The American Institute of Architects, The University of Tennessee Architecture and other partner organizations, the city of Kingston Springs created and endorsed their landmark
Kingston Springs Comprehensive Plan in 2008, which focuses on historic town center re-development and open space preservation. Through these efforts Kingston Springs was able to secure a TDOT grant allowing the creation of a streetscape plan for its I-40 gateway.
Pegram
With the aid of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, the city of Pegram also completed a Land Use and Transportation Plan in 2006, which projects planning needs for the next twenty years. Pegram’s plan focuses on preserving the area’s many acres of agricultural land and open space, especially its many sensitive floodplains.
Ashland City
Ashland City, the county seat, has completed the first construction phase of its
“Renaissance Ashland City Plan”, which earned a CRT Tomorrow Award in 2003 for excellence in planning. The city is currently seeking funding for further construction outside of the downtown strip.
Updated zoning, subdivision and building codes to implement plans
Kingston Springs has begun updating zoning codes to reflect the town’s commitment to open space preservation, tightening requirements for open space in all new development contracts. Town planners are also revising building codes to encourage setbacks that preserve rural character. Likewise, Pegram community leaders are instituting new zoning measures to discourage floodplain development and incentivize infill redevelopment. Pegram planners are also working to acquire better measurement and information of environmental, economic and social conditions in order to improve the effectiveness of these new codes. The process of updating is continual, but each of these towns has made rapid progress and has begun implementation.
Design for protection and enhancement of community character
Cheatham County boasts a rich history, embodied in the very character of its towns and rural landscapes. Kingston Springs aims to cultivate and preserve the small-town character of its downtown developments by re-adapting historic buildings and creating zoning overlays for the downtown built environment. The town also plans to carefully develop the I-40 interstate exit area so as not to compromise the unique spirit of the community. Renaissance Ashland City, similarly, prioritizes “the heart and soul of a small town” in its zoning and incentives, especially in the historic downtown area. Pegram’s plan implores local leaders to fund programs designed to keep young people in the community, thereby ensuring future vitality.
Redevelopment of cities, towns, rural communities
In conjunction with preservation of community treasures, Cheatham County communities are also encouraging historically sensitive redevelopment. Kingston Springs, though a relatively young community incorporated in 1965, has taken the initiative to establish a legal tradition of redevelopment for future generations, especially in the Main Street strip downtown. Ashland City’s award-winning plan also provides economic incentives that reduce cost for redeveloping designated urban revitalization areas.
Housing
Mixed-use development forges strong community relationships by blending business, residential and natural functions. The Kingston Springs Plan embodies that mission by encouraging mixed-use, more affordable housing along the interstate exchange, the corridor connecting the town middle school and high school, the Moore’s Circle area and trailer park developments. Ashland City revised their housing codes to more accurately define and encourage mixed-use developments in both rural and urban areas. Likewise, Pegram has passed zoning laws that concentrate high-density mixed-use housing along traffic corridors with existing infrastructure, specifically that along Highway 70.
Conservation
Kingston Springs is committed to preserving the integrity of its many environmental assets, especially the Harpeth River and the wooded lands cocooning it. Their Comprehensive Plan protects large tracts of open space along the river and promotes mixed-use development to increase density and relieve pressure on existing lands. More specifically, Kingston Springs residents plan to preserve a large tract of park space in the downtown area to serve as a community gathering spot and outdoor recreation area.
Ashland City also boasts a robust conservation plan, earning a Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award for outstanding conservation efforts. The Cumberland River Bicentennial Trail that meanders through the town limits is also protected as a member of the National Rails to Trails Conservancy. Pegram has also taken steps to protect its environmentally sensitive floodplain areas, tightening development standards and disincentivizing floodplain development; furthermore, planners are drafting a Stormwater Ordinance to prevent erosion and other damages caused by overdevelopment. The city has also begun offering financial awards for landowners with large acreage who apply for “greenbelt” status.
Land use and transportation
Kingston Springs is focusing its development efforts around two areas: its busy I-40 exit corridor and downtown. With the aid of CRT and its partners, the city was able to request assistance from TDOT for interstate development planning. To accommodate more holistic transit options, the city has embraced Context Sensitive Design, an interdisciplinary, participatory approach to transportation planning that ensures that projects serve a diverse group of community interests. The town of Pegram’s transportation plan provides for increasing funding for sidewalks, as well as for speed restrictions that encourage a safer pedestrian environment.
Efficient use of preexisting infrastructure
Kingston Springs features two distinct focus areas: the downtown strip near the train depot and the I-40 interstate exchange. Both offer a strong preexisting infrastructure prime for infill and compact development, thereby cutting construction time, cost, and threats to the natural environment. Pegram is cracking down on potential sprawl by requiring developers to foot the infrastructure bill for developments outside of designated growth areas.
Thinking and acting regionally
The next step for Cheatham County is to pursue a comprehensive county plan. Once Ashland City, Pegram and Kingston Springs complete the construction phases of their respective community plans, they will be primed for a county-wide initiative. By reaching out to smart growth advocates like CRT, the Nashville Civic Design Center, and the Greater Nashville Regional Council, these leading cities of Cheatham County have laid the groundwork for a groundbreaking county growth plan.