Conservation Easement With The Land Trust Isn't The Answer - And Response

  • Monday, September 22, 2014

Like Councilmember Annette Allen's committee, I support preserving our Signal Mountain park lands and green spaces and applaud the committee's time and attention to their mission.  But a conservation easement with the Land Trust for Tennessee is not the answer.  There are many other alternatives, if necessary.

The attorneys for the town and the Land Trust for Tennessee have, after months' of discussion, finally reached an agreement on which they (the attorneys) could agree.  It will be presented to the Town Council. 

While there remains many practical, technical, financial and legal issues with this agreement, what bothers me most is the arrogance and presumptuous attitude that possibly three council members are wiser and more knowledgeable about the town's future than my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and those who come long after they are gone. 

A simple Council majority (three votes) would hijack our kids' responsibility to be faithful stewards of what we treasure and taught them to appreciate about the town of Signal Mountain.  Our children are finally coming back to Signal to nurture the family-friendly, faith-based values we champion. 

The scenario is both simple and horrific:  With a vote from three councilmembers, the town could give-away millions of dollars of un-appraised, un-surveyed tracts of our citizens' land (town assets) to a third party (Land Trust) forever (in perpetuity) for nothing, for free (no compensation or consideration) and be liable to the Trust for any discrepancies. 

Give-away, third party, forever. 

I encourage everyone who supports the future of our town and is against giving-away precious assets to a third-party forever to speak for three minutes at the next Council meeting on Oct. 13 at 6:30 p.m.  You do not have to sign-in in advance to be on the agenda.  Just show-up, fill the room and have three minutes to say why this is a tragic proposition with eternal consequences. 

Bill Wallace
Signal Mountain Town Council 

* * * 

Our town park lands and green space are truly assets, as Councilman Bill Wallace states, but he has attached the words “dollars,” “un-appraised,” and “compensation,” to these irreplaceable acres that add so much to the quality of life on Signal Mountain.  These parcels are not protected from development and they can be sold at any time by the town. 

Protecting Rainbow Lake, Green Gorge, and the other park land/green space for our citizens and those who will live here in the future will be the outcome of the Land Trust for Tennessee holding a conservation easement on this property.  

Other alternatives have been looked at and ruled out. I am unaware of the remaining “many practical, technical, financial, and legal issues with this agreement” with the Land Trust that Mr. Wallace refers to. It has been vetted and approved by our town attorney, Mr. Phil Noblett. 

At the present time, with a vote from three council members, the town could do several things with our parks. The council could sell our parks to the highest bidder. At that point our park land becomes private property to be used as the new owner sees fit, including development. The council could just leave the park land unprotected or with inadequate protections and let future citizens decide what happens, or the council could vote to protect forever the little green space still available for present and future citizens to enjoy.  

This afternoon – Tues. Sept. 23 - from 4–8 at Town Hall is an open house with information from the committee who has been working on this Conservation Easement for the past 1 ½ years. Please come. This is not a meeting. It is like the open house held in March that gave residents the chance to get information, ask questions, give comments, etc. 

Claire Griesinger
Signal Mountain

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