Trezevant Council Backtracks on Rezoning Vote

TREZEVANT (July 14) — The Trezevant Town Council voted against rezoning the former Hillsman property at 5340 Broad Street on Tuesday, further stalling an eight-month effort to bring a hybrid grocery store to the town.

The council's decision backtracked its June vote, during which the council unanimously agreed to rezone the property from residential to commercial (B1). At the time, some aldermen said they were unaware of what they were voting for and voiced their disapproval of rezoning.

"This is an important decision," Alderman Dan Dieringer said. "I think we need to take time."

Dieringer also argued for putting housing projects on the property. Trezevant already has a grocery store, he said, referring to Dollar General. He didn't think the town was large enough to support two grocery stores, and he said the best way to support population growth was to either build additional housing or open factories.

Rita Foster, Trezevant's newly-appointed Industrial Development Board (IDB) chair, told Dieringer that she knew of several residentially-zoned properties in Trezevant that could support housing, but the former Hillsman property was the only place she knew of that could support a new grocery store.

The property is just off Highway 79 and receives heavy traffic, Foster pointed out. "Wouldn't you want a business there instead of a house?" she asked.

Foster spent several years trying to find someone to open a new grocery store on the property and said that she wouldn't have dedicated so much time and effort to it if she had known the council had no intention of rezoning.

During the IDB's June meeting, interested buyer Philip Colwell said he had run out of patience with the town and threatened to back out of his offer if no progress was made to rezone or sell the property.

Ultimately, the council wanted more detailed information from the IDB regarding Colwell's plans. Under the recommendation of Town Attorney Charlie Trotter, the council also agreed that they would only be interested in leasing the property to Colwell — not selling.

Colwell told the IDB last month that he was not interested in leasing the property, as he will be building the grocery store from the ground up.

"I don't see how many people would want to spend $300,000 on leased land," Foster told the council. "Maybe in larger cities, but not here."

Trezevant Mayor Bobby Blaylock voiced his concerns with the board: "We need to talk about what we're doing. Are we just going to keep doing this every month?"

The council agreed to revisit the rezoning issue next month if the IDB presents more detailed information regarding its agreement with Colwell.

In other business, the council approved its fireworks ordinance on its final reading, voting to lower the sales license fee from $1,500 to $150 after determining the previous fee was excessive. Alderman Dan Dieringer was the only board member to dissent. The license is required for each sales period, meaning businesses must obtain one for Independence Day and another for New Year’s celebrations.

Andrew Simmons from the Northwest Tennessee Development District spoke to the council regarding grants. He told them about the Community Development Block Grant, for which Trezevant is a 13% match, and asked the council for detailed wishlists from each municipal department.

Dieringer vowed to check for grant openings each month.

Mayor Blaylock then took the floor, asking to raise the town's spending limit from $9,999 to $20,000 — meaning the town would only need to request bids for purchases over $20,000.

"$10,000 used to buy a pretty decent vehicle," Blaylock said. "Now, you can't get anything for $10,000."

Blaylock's proposal came at the recommendation of the Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS).

The council will vote on the change in future meetings, as it needs to be presented as an ordinance.

Lastly, IDB Vice Chair Janet Dickson gave an update regarding the town's up-and-coming website. She recently gained access to start building the site and has already completed several components. She requested photos and contact information from each alderman and advertised the opportunity for individuals to feature their local businesses on the website for free.

The Town of Trezevant Mayor and Board of Aldermen's next meeting is Tuesday, August 11.