HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A community that spent years fighting to protect land from development is now watching it become a park.
Heritage Park broke ground in Hendersonville, on a peninsula off Old Hickory Lake which was the result of a grassroots fundraising effort that began in 2017.
Jeff Cundiff, one of the residents who lives on the peninsula, said the effort started when a developer proposed building homes on the property.
"This all started back around October November of 2017 when a developer came looking to put a bunch of homes on the property. Community kind of rallied together," Cundiff said.
More than 800 community members donated to stop the development, raising $1 million in just three months.
"Within 3 months we raised a million dollars of over 800, community members," Cundiff said. "That's everybody from little kids selling lemonade on their front porch to other kids that were selling toys, you know, at garage sales just to donate."
Andy Gilley said the community's effort was extraordinary.
"This does not happen every day. It certainly doesn't happen every day where a community raises a million dollars in the span of a few months and then donates that land back to the city. That this is a rare thing that's happened here," Gilley said.
With part of the land owned by the city, the Friends of Indian Lake will turn over their portion to complete the project. To ensure the land is permanently protected, a conservation easement has been placed on the property.
"We put a conservation easement on the piece of property that we're giving to the city which will protect it in perpetuity forever… so there never will be anything there other than a park," Cundiff said.
Hendersonville city leaders expect the park to be completed in a year.
"Protecting land like this for generations to come, you know, you don't get that opportunity very often," Cundiff said.
Did this community's story inspire you? Watch the full report to see the moment nine years of hard work finally paid off — and tell us: Is there a piece of land or green space in your community worth fighting for? Share your story with Kim.Rafferty@NewsChannel5.com — your tip could become our next report.
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