WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Neighbors in Williamson County are rallying against a proposed luxury recreation club they say threatens the natural tranquility they've cherished for decades.
The controversy centers around a development planned near what used to be Camp Whippoorwill, now a peaceful nature reserve in Fernvale. Hundreds of signs line the roads asking to "save" the area from what residents see as an unwelcome intrusion.
"Right now are you listening? Do you hear the beauty of silence," said Sidney Wooten, whose family is restoring the former summer camp to a nature reserve.
The proposed development would bring a private, members-only recreation club featuring a luxury racetrack, dining experiences, shooting ranges and an amphitheater to property neighboring Wooten and Gill Murrey's 44 acres.
Murrey, who waters 1,450 tree saplings by hand every morning, fears the constant noise will shatter their peaceful existence.
"It will be really sad as if there's a constant chainsaw noise from 9 to 5 every day of the week," she said.
The family has spent generations sharing the natural wonders of their land. Camp Whippoorwill once educated hundreds of children about the outdoors summer after summer. Now in retirement, they're working to preserve it as a nature reserve.
Murrey says the exclusive club represents the opposite of their philosophy of sharing nature's gifts.
"All of that just for 100 wealthy people to play and be entertained putting longtime residences like us who love our land and love the animals and the birds it just seems why?" she said.
Developer Walker Lunn acknowledges the concerns but says his nonprofit company prioritizes environmental conservation despite its luxury amenities.
"What we'd like to do is put in a bunch of amenities for our type of community, for people who want to do active lifestyle, active lifestyle kind of things," Lunn said.
Lunn says the development will abide by noise ordinances and only 6% of the property will be developed for the social club's amenities. He argues his project is better than other development alternatives.
"It seems like the acres around here are better at sprouting duplexes than anything else these days. And that's not what we have in mind, and it's not what we want," he said.
But neighbors remain skeptical about the project's impact on their community.
"They're going to blast pave over clear cut trees. It won't be open to anyone in Fairview or Fernvale. It's limited to their rich friends," Murrey said.
For someone whose life purpose was sharing natural wonders with others, Murrey believes the land should be accessible to more than just exclusive members.
"For them, it's a fun weekend for us. It devastates our day-to-day lives," she said.
The Fairview city board will consider the development's permit at their meeting Thursday evening.
Is development changing your neighborhood's character? I want to hear how growth is impacting your community. Email me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com.
This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
