Without truth amongst ourselves, there lies a hinterland of darkness ahead and we’ll be steamrolled by forces that are beyond our control. There’s no such thing as an armored community and we shouldn’t want to achieve it anyway. The ebb and flow of people and buildings and expansion is part of what makes us excited about the future. Tullahoma is really, finally and truly flexing her muscles outward.
However, a few neighborhood activists have tried everything to stop housing development in their backyards: reduced property value, fire and death (from lack of emergency vehicle access), higher taxes, infrastructure fears, school overloads, and now this, a misinformed hot-take that reveals their anti-development sentiment with crystal clarity.
Directly attacking what we need the most for our community (townhomes), the most recent post from one of the founders of “Save Tullahoma” claims that the property at 1008 W. Lincoln Street has reduced the value of the city. Instead of recognizing that there are now 13 new places for people to live with dignity (like a senior, student or working class), we have the unsubstantiated claim that this not only ruins the town but that we shouldn’t have it anywhere in our residential areas.
(note, the property was completed in 2021 and every unit was claimed before it was finished)
Additionally, while saying that it doesn’t object to growth, the group speaks out the other side of its mouth by saying that increased density shouldn’t be allowed in their neighborhood. This is the very definition of N.I.M.B.Y., and it’s shameful.
But, let’s put all of that aside for a moment and think about the message they’re sending out.
Who, exactly, do they think is going to take the risk of building a neighborhood? It’s not possible to wave a wand around and magically manifest a local developer, though we do have a few putting in the hard work, which we appreciate. They’ve suddenly become experts on what someone else should do with their property, which is confusing. If this group wants to do things like this, they should buy some land and risk their own money instead of telling other people how to spend theirs. If they want that farm or slot of land to be a certain way, we suggest they pool resources and purchase it.
When they attack the idea of section 8 housing, which isn’t what developers build, by the way, they’re attacking the folks that live in them. When they attack developers that want to invest in Tullahoma, they’re attacking the very premise of our community and the foundation of a capitalistic society. When they attack city officials, with zero basis in fact and in strained, pained and frankly obvious deflective arguments, they’re attacking everyone who works for the city, everyone who has ever worked for the city and anyone who will ever want to work for the city.
When they attack higher density housing like apartments, townhomes or condos, they’re attacking the aging population that want the autonomy that these provide but that cannot afford to live in a big home. In short, they’re attacking everyone and it sure looks like they’re doing that to avoid a rational discussion, to protect their backyard and to obscure their own needs.