The All State

Media Credit: Patrick Armstrong A presentation was made Nov. 15 in the Montgomery County Courthouse concerning a plan to redevelop several areas in and around downtown Clarksville. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Patrick Armstrong Frank Lott, prior chairman of the Downtown District Partnership, gave the presentation to the City Commissioners on Nov. 15. [Click to enlarge]

Over 60 members of the community attended the City Commissioners information session tonight in order to express their outrage over the Clarksville Center Redevelopment Plan, an ordinance that categorizes over 1300 acres in the downtown Clarksville and surrounding neighborhoods as "blighted." The plan for redevelopment would allow the city to condemn blighted properties and provide tax incentives for private redevelopers.

A presentation by Frank Lott, former chairman of the Downtown District Partnership Board (DDP), outlined the purpose and scope of the redevelopment project. Lott sees the redevelopment plan as a continuation of the restoration of the large scale rebuilding efforts after the devastating 1999 tornado.

"The resurgence of downtown - that's not accidental," Lott said. "We need the momentum to continue this type of development."

Wayne Wilkinson, another former chairman of the DDP and co-presenter of the information session, emphasized the need to replace blighted areas with properties that would generate revenue for Clarksville.

"A redevelopment plan ordinance will help assure the long-term viability of Clarksville's urban core," Wilkinson said.

Many members of the community currently living in the area defined as "blighted" expressed concern and outrage at what they see as the city catering to private developers over the needs of the community. Patsy Sharpe, an affected homeowner, says that the wording in the ordinance is vague and gives too much latitude to the city to condemn a property.

"They have a blank check, is what they have," Sharpe said.

Debbie Denton, a historic homeowner, says that although the city, state, and federal government can claim imminent domain for public use, the redevelopment plan would allow for the seizure and condemnation of blighted properties for private development. "They can seize it and sell it to private developers who stand to make a lot of money. That's the true motivation behind all this," Denton said.

Dan Brown, director of the Tennessee Preservation Trust, a state-wide non-profit historic preservation and advocacy organization, said that he sent the ordinance to the trust's legal team in D.C.

"They had one word for it. Audacious," Brown said. Brown said that the scope of this redevelopment plan threatens the historic character of downtown Clarksville and the surrounding areas, and the scope of the plan makes the area "one of the most endangered historical property sites in the U.S." Brown said that the redevelopment plan not only threatens the historic character of Clarksville, but will also have a negative impact on the people currently residing in the area designated as blighted. "This takes away people's property rights and negatively effects people's property values," Brown said.

Although APSU campus is not included in the redevelopment project, several students present at the meeting were concerned that the plan will negatively impact the university in the future. Aaron C. Northrop, a sophomore, said that the plan might limit the university's ability to expand in the future.

"It's just not right," Northrop said. "It may potentially stop the growth of Austin Peay."

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