The rolling green farmlands of Spring Hill have been part of the reason Chris Treloar and his wife moved into their home more than a decade ago, although they had considered living in the downtown area.
"Actually too close together, you could basically stand on your porch and shake hands with the next door neighbor. We just wanted to have some space around us," Treloar said.
Most homes in their neighborhood have sat on an average of two acres; however, their Williamsburg subdivision could soon have new neighbors, and a lot of them.
The proposed Harvest Point project will add 1,200 homes and townhomes, as well as 25,000 square feet of retail and office space.
"We're all for progress, yes, but progress to this extent definitely not," Treloar said.
He's concerned Beechcroft Road and the surrounding infrastructure won't be able to handle the increased traffic.
"Which are all very valid concerns, and that's why there's been significant roadway improvements required along with the rezone up to this point," City Alderman and Planning Commissioner Mat Fitterer said.
However, some have questioned whether road improvements will be enough. Once the project has been finished, city officials have expected the city's population to grow by 5,000 people.
"If more children are going to arrive, which obviously they will, where are they going to go to school," asked Treloar.
"Schools are certainly a county issue and not a municipal issue," said Fitterer.
He has credited high paying jobs and favorable tax policies for the influx of Spring Hill growth.
"That's causing people to move here, myself included," Fitterer said.
A Maury County School District spokesperson said the district has always been looking to stay ahead of the development and have been considering options for new schools in north Maury County. However, right now no land has been acquired.
If the Harvest Point development project passes its second reading on August 15 and construction begins, it could be ten years or more before it's finished.
