A sign of the times: Hardscuffle Road

The Historic Commission recently announced plans to post new street signs on Brentwood's historically significant roads. The new signs will be designed to include a road's current name as well as its historic one.

Those attending Monday's City Commission meeting got a sneak peek of what the first new sign will look like. They weren't the first people to see it, though. That honor went to those gathered last Saturday for the 25th annual Summer Reunion held at Nashville's Sevier Park.

The reunion brings together former neighbors and landowners of Hardscuffle, the mostly African-American community that was located where east Church Street is today.

“The Hardscuffle Community has played a significant role in Brentwood’s past. These new historic road signs are the first of their kind. The Brentwood Historic Commission is pleased to be able to recognize the many contributions the Hardscuffle Community has made in shaping our history," shared Gil Hutchinson, chair of the Historic Commission's marker committee.

"The feedback we received at their reunion was very positive. You could tell they were both pleasantly surprised and deeply appreciative of the recognition. It felt really good to be able to share the news with them.”

City Commissioner Anne Dunn, the board's longtime representative on the Historic Commission, introduced Hutchinson at Monday's meeting and recognized him for his efforts on behalf of the city.

TIF for your thoughts

Next up: Town Center brainstorm, and cookies!
As predicted, Thursday night's City Commission work session on Tax Incremental Financing and how it might work in Town Center wasn't nearly as fun as the previous week's brainstorm hosted by the city's environmental committee.
Maybe that was the problem. It was a TIF meeting instead of a brainstorm.
Don't get me wrong. The presenters, attorney and Tennessee TIF expert Mark Mamantov and investment guru Rick Delaney of Morgan-Keegan gave detailed presentations on how this type of investment can be used to jump-start projects. Unfortunately, it seems almost certain that without county as well as city support, TIFs would not pump enough extra cash into Town Center projects to make the special financing worth it. And apparently Williamson County has declared it's not interested in TIFs unless they are for big corporate projects like Nissan that bring in lots of high-paying jobs.
The meeting did accomplish what it set out to do: It provided the city commission information about TIFs (and PILOTs and GOs and other such things that mostly went right over my head).
What it didn't do was give any traction to help spur Town Center discussion along, though I suppose just having all the interested parties in the same room breathing the same air was a start.
So may I suggest a second meeting of all who attended last night. Let's schedule an old-fashioned brainstorm session, much like the green committee did. Make it mandatory or at least "highly recommended" for City Commissioners and key staff to attend. Make it so enticing that everyone with any interest in Town Center will beg for an invite. Introduce Commissioner Anne Dunn to everyone involved, so she will never again have to say "I don't know who to deal with" when referring to those who have expressed interest in or made investments in the downtown commercial district.
Have white boards all over the room for ideas on how to get things started. Talk about the pros and cons of a master plan openly and with open minds. Breakout out into small groups with each commissioner assigned to a group of property and business owners to simply listen to what they have to say. And vice versa. Start forging new relationships.
And most importantly, advertise and provide some really good desserts. That always brings a crowd. In fact, I volunteer to bake cookies.
In the meantime, I would love to see comments posted here from those who attended Thursday night's TIF session. Or, feel free to email thoughts to me at brentword@comcast.net.

City proclaims Pete a legend

Anyone who read my newspaper column or now reads this blog knows I cheat on my husband. I have a thing for older men. Much older men.

And there's one in particular who has won the key to my heart. And now he has the key to the city.

Pete Schutt's daughter asked me Tuesday night how I had gotten to know her dad. I really couldn't remember. I think we connected on some city issue and just clicked. Since then we've lunched and laughed and he's given me some great political and life advice.

My family was lucky enough to have attended two of the Meadowlake Homeowners Association picnics that Pete and his bride Joyce hosted for years at their "lakefront" home on Williamsburg Road. But beyond introducing ourselves, we didn't connect then.

It was several years later that the World War II veteran and I started "sparking" so to speak. I always light up when I see him. Maybe it's because I so seldom get to see my dad and Pete reminds me so much of him.

For years, some might say 33, Pete has been a Brentwood fixture. He's been an active citizen by attending board meetings and writing letters to board members and city staff. He even put his name forward to fill out Bill Youree's seat last year after Bill's too-sudden death.

As recently as a few weeks ago, Pete sent a letter to all of the commissioners urging them to take the lead in redevelopment of Town Center.

"As a concerned member of the community, can I expect to hear that the city commission is going to get the ball rolling?" he asked. He wrote he had read about a small, grassroots group that wants to see more progress made there.

"The city has the gavel. Let me hear it to get the meetings started. Together we can move a mountain but divided all we can do is talk ... Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference," he continued.

He signed it, "May love, joy and peace be yours, Pete Schutt."

At Tuesday's City Commission meeting, love, joy and peace were evident. Commissioners recognized him for his role as a soft-spoken citizen activist -- activist being used here in the best sense of the word.

You see Pete is moving to Franklin soon. I actually suggested the 50-plus development where he is buying a home. Now I feel guilty.

At the meeting, Mayor Betsy Crossley called Pete up to the front of the board room. First she presented him with an official proclamation and key to the city. Then the accolades began.

Calling Pete, "a citizen who has never held back," Commissioner Anne Dunn noted that when Pete had concerns, his criticism was "always taken to heart."

"Pete, we love you," Joe Sweeney told him. "You've never been vindictive, you've always been firm." He added how much he had enjoyed the birthday cakes Pete and Joyce had baked for board members over the years.

"It wouldn't be a city commission meeting if he wasn't sitting there on the second row," quipped Joe Reagan, who went on to mention his and Pete's shared love of woodworking. (And for the record, I'm convinced the too-small wood shop at The Heritage may have been the deciding factor in Pete's departure.)

Pete actually has several reasons for moving to Franklin, not the least of which is being closer to his bride. Joyce, as much a figure at Brentwood City Commission meetings over the years as her husband, has Alzheimer's Disease. A few years ago she moved into a Franklin assisted living facility better equipped to take care of her.

In a prepared statement, carefully printed in pencil on an index card, Pete told the commission how much he appreciated the fact that it had remained non-partisan and urged it to stay that way.

"Joyce and I have enjoyed every minute we've been here," Pete told those attending the meeting, including two of his children, a granddaughter and a great-granddaughter who traveled to Brentwood to see him honored. "Brentwood has been good to us ... I am not moving far down the road so will be able to come back often."

I sure hope so.