John Coffelt, Editor

Half of the members of the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen voiced during the April 1 meeting criticism at what some view as an anti-growth stance behind recent actions in the county government.

Alderman Ryan French and Thomas Crosslin called for the cities and county to take steps to a discussion about opening the Urban Growth Boundary, while Alderman James Threet said that Manchester has for generations blocked positive changes.

Threet referenced a 1968 edition of the Manchester Times that reported Manchester narrowly missed getting a Kimberly-Clark paper plant that would have employed 700 people at a time when Manchester’s population was 6,800 people.

Threet compared that to a recent Times’ front page that has the county’s request for rezoning of the I-24 Industrial (megasite) and below it that the county passed a 180-day moratorium in the county.

“Is that contradictory? Am I the only person that thinks about the sorted, dismal history of this place and the failure…” Threet said.

He suggested that an aerospace industry like General Electric would be put off by the mixed signals the county is giving concerning growth. And he predicted that if a billion-dollar company were interested in locating here that reluctant minds would prevail.

“I just about guarantee that would happen…I’ve seen it. I saw when I was in college, Ascension Healthcare came here and wanted to build a new hospital. There was a county commissioner that said with a nun sitting in front of him, we don’t want a Jewish hospital here,” Threet said.    

Threet said as an alderman 23 years ago (prior to changes in state laws governing annexes) he brought an ordinance to annex every parcel inside the Manchester UGB. That controversial action failed with only one additional yes vote.

“Not one person spoke in favor,” Threet said. “Had this passed…in the 20 years since then, we would have a city of 20,000-plus.”

French, who hadn’t planned to speak on the matter, responded to Threet’s statements by suggesting that the county and cities to formally open a UGB discussion about expanding the area included.   

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.