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Herman provides updates on White House at chamber luncheon




White House city manager Gerald Herman spoke at the Chamber of Commerce luncheon last week.TYLER GRAVES

White House city manager Gerald Herman spoke at the Chamber of Commerce luncheon last week.TYLER GRAVES

White House City Administrator Gerald Herman served as the guest speaker for the White House Area Chamber of Commerce’s September luncheon at the Billy S. Hobbs Community Center last week.

In an unofficial “State of the City” address, Herman provided those in attendance with information on growth throughout White House over the past year, as well as updates on various departments and upcoming projects within the city.

Herman first focused on growth within White House, which continues to feel the effects of more people moving into the greater Nashville and Middle Tennessee area.

According to Herman, roughly 2,500 people have moved into the city over the past four years, putting them well over the nearly 13,000 population number from 2020 Census data. To accommodate the influx of new residents, more than 980 homes have been built, including 32 townhomes and 96 apartments during that span.

In fiscal year 2022, 531 single-family homes were approved by the Planning Commission’s Master Development Plan, while 340 were permitted to be built, a slight decrease from 2021, which saw 772 residential units approved and 376 homes built.

“People want to be here, for the same reason I came here with my family 15 years ago,” Herman said. “It was a nice place with low property taxes, no income tax, and great quality people that lived here. It’s just a wonderful place to be, and that’s why more people want to be a part of it. When you have good schools, low crime, and good values, people want to come here.”

Herman also notes that several apartment complexes are in the process of being built, as well as completing new phases in the Springbrook and Cambria subdivisions.

Additionally, White House continues to experience significant commercial and industrial growth. Among the many new businesses that have opened their doors over the past year includes Scooter’s Coffee, The Moringa Tree Organic Kitchen and Wellness Studio, Caliber Collision, and Tidal Wave Auto Spa, among several others.

“We’ve also been having discussions for another shopping center that could possibly be going across from the city park by the water tower,” Herman added. “Next to Deja Moo we’ve approved a sports bar. The designs look pretty impressive. The property has already been sold, so I’m hoping that they’re moving forward with it.”

The city has been working with the Robertson County Economic Development Board in developing a 200-acre industrial park off of Sage and Union Road and located near Interstate 65 and a Lowe’s Millwork Operations facility.

Along with the headquarters for Advanex Americas, which announced plans to relocate to the area last year, the industrial park could also be the future homes for other manufacturing companies, including Tate Ornamental and ReTool.

Although Herman says that the city’s main intersections have not seen a significant increase in traffic based on the results of a traffic study, a number of improvements to transportation infrastructure are in the works.

Among those is the widening of a section of Highway 76, from McDonald’s to New Hall Road on the west side of I-65. The TDOT project was made part of the state’s gasoline tax IMPROVE Act and is still in its preliminary stages. Herman says TDOT doesn’t currently have a timeline for its completion.

White House received a grant from the Transportation Policy Board of the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization for enhancements of the Highway 31W and Raymond Hirsch Parkway intersection.

Current plans are for the addition of crosswalks and sidewalks connecting to Twin Springs Apartments and the city’s greenway.

“Right now, we’re in the process of picking an engineer,” Herman said. “We’re down to three that we’re evaluating to help start with the preliminary designs. We’re already under contract with TDOT to start that process.”

The intersection of South Palmers Chapel Road and Tyree Springs Road, near H.B. Williams Elementary, are also set to see improvements. According to Herman, Sumner County Schools is building a new elementary school on Highway 31W near White House Middle School. Upon its opening, H.B. Williams will become a K-2 school, potentially relieving some traffic at this intersection.

Other transportation improvements include updates on Hester Drive and Calista Road, and a connector road from Pinson Lane to White House Heritage High school.

“When we do our citizen surveys every two years, most people are concerned about transportation and our parks,” Herman said. “I think we’re trying to do the best we can in both of those areas to improve and make things better for the quality of life here in White House.”

In the area of utilities, Herman states that due to rising costs, the city is considering adopting a recycling fee, similar to the city of Springfield. White House currently does not charge for recycling, and only has a low fee of $19 for garbage and brush pickup.

To accommodate for future growth, Herman also gave details on a new $21 million water treatment plant, located in the northwest corner of the city. The plant will feature a new lab for chemical treatments and water testing and is expected to be completed by April of next year.

A new southern force water main collection system will run from the plant all the way to new residential developments on Tyree Springs Road and will increase main lines from 12 to 18 inches.

Although estimated costs for the collection system were over $7 million, the city received funds from the federal government’s American Rescue Plan to help pay for the project.

For public safety, Herman pointed out that due to growth, a total of 1,754 fire or emergency calls were made in 2022, 75% of which were medically related. That number indicates a steady rise in calls from 1,524 the previous year and 1,366 in 2020.

To address the need for handling these calls, the city has hired new firefighters each year along with creating three additional lieutenant positions.

Herman was also happy to report that the city has not seen any increases in crime on persons or property over the past four years, even as the number of residents continues to rise.

Several projects are also in the works at the city’s Parks Department. A brand-new tennis facility with six total courts and a parking lot is being built in the back of White House Municipal Park, with an estimated project cost of $1.8. million. Herman says the city is hoping to have it finished by February of next year.

Improvements to the six-field W.L. Anderson Sports Complex have been made with increased lighting, as well as plans to expand the parking lot. According to Herman, a grant worth over $600,000 will help pay for it, with the city having to match that amount. Plans are to also use the facility for the chamber’s annual White House Americana Celebration.

In addition, White House announced earlier this year that a $24 million bond was approved for construction of a new 70,000 square foot recreation center, located next to the Billy S. Hobbs Community Center.

The two-story facility will contain a gymnasium for basketball and volleyball courts, multipurpose rooms for pickleball, gaming rooms, as well as a walking track and wellness center, among other things.

“This will be a really nice space for future events for the city, and I think it’s going to be a really good thing for us to do.”

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