Asst. City Manager Kirk Bednar leads a work session on the city's proposed Brush Recycling Environmental Area on July 21.

Neighbors unhappy with Smith Park location, plan
By JOSEPH SCHAFER
For Brentwood Home Page
Brentwood residents shared more critiques than comments at last week’s city work session on a proposed Brush Recycling Environmental Area inside the city's new Marcella Vivrette Smith Park. The need for a BREA was brought into question, as well as its location in Brentwood and its use of a horizontal grinder to create trail mulch.

The city has long sought a location where it could unload wood chips collected curbside throughout the city and have it removed by an independent contractor to cut down on both the personnel and transportation costs to drive the chipper trucks to the county landfill several times each week. More recently, with the purchase of the Smith Park property, the city anticipates the need for mulch on future  hiking and mountain bike trails. That mulch can be created from the rough wood chips if a commercial grinder is brought in several times a year to process it.

A box filled with the wood chips that come out of the city's chippers after being processed curbside.

Assistant City Manager Kirk Bednar presented a PowerPoint presentation on July 21 at the Municipal Building to members of the City Commission, city Park Board and the Environmental Advisory Committee. Residents in Inglehame, Carriage Hills and The Meade at Avalon subdivisions that are closest to the new park were invited to attend via their respective homeowner associations. Approximately 25-30 citizens attended.

Since purchasing the 320-acre Ravenswood Farm property that would comprise the Smith Park, the city has said it hoped to locate the BREA within the park. As part of its master planning process, several sites have been suggested. One that would place the BREA parallel to Wilson pike and across nearby railroad tracks, 450 feet from the nearest house and 690 feet from the historic Ravenswood house has been identified as the most promising site.

Bednar explained that the plan, which requires no permit, would improve efficiency and reduce operating costs well as liability.

According to the presentation, the city’s in-house chipping service would store the collected rough cut brush in the BREA and recycle some of that brush into mulch. Brentwood chipper crews currently deposit their cargo an average of three to five times per week in a southwest Williamson County landfill, a 54-mile round trip. Crews take over 600 landfill trips per year; a serious liability risk, Bednar noted.

The presentation estimated that the current disposal plan costs $37,000 annually in lost productivity. Direct disposal currently costs the city an additional $35,000, bringing the total cost to $72,000. The BREA’s annual cost was estimated at $45,000. Its construction, however, would cost $600,000 to pave a two-acre asphalt pad and conceal it with shrubbery. Those costs would amortize after an estimated 20 years according to the presentation.

A horizontal grinder, which would grind a portion of the chipped material into mulch for the park trails, drew the most fire. The grinder would make excessive noise and pose a safety risk, residents said.

Bednar explained the use of a rented, truck-size grinder would save Brentwood residents money by recycling chips into trail mulch instead of buying it elsewhere. The grinder would be used only three to four times per year to minimize noise. At most, only a quarter of the chipped material would be mulched and used in the park, he said.

It’s anticipated the unground chips would be carried offsite at no cost to Brentwood by semi truck. The trucks would add to Wilson pike’s traffic, but only three times a week, Bednar said.

Residents also raised concerns about the only planned vehicle entrance to Smith Park -- a new bridge over the CSX railroad tracks. All vehicular traffic -- cars, trucks and semis -- would drive into the park via the bridge. City Manager Mike Walker said the bridge is unavoidable, but that it would be “as aesthetically pleasing as possible.”

A representative from Gresham Smith and Partners, the firm contracted to create the Smith Park master plan, noted that the bridge will include separated lanes for bikes and pedestrians. Existing and additional pedestrian-only entrances will be available via the city’s existing and expanded bike trail system.

Among the questions and criticisms voiced, neighbors said the BREA would use Smith Park as an industrial site and would be more appropriate elsewhere. Bednar was asked if the city had looked at alternate solutions, such as calling for a proposal request or outsourcing disposal service instead of creating the BREA at all. Other disposal services would still require an asphalt staging area, but not a rented grinder, Bednar answered. Franklin’s existing mulch processing site was brought up as an option. Bednar said that site cannot be expanded to accommodate Brentwood’s needs.

Asked if the city didn’t have another site it could use for a BREA, such as in one of its existing parks, City Manager Mike Walker said the answer is no. “We have been at this (BREA) for 10 years and have not found another site.”

Walker shared the story of how difficult it was to find an acceptable location for the city’s new dog park, which he said the City Commission felt would be welcomed by neighbors. It ultimately was built in Tower Park next to I-65.

Brentwood residents asked if the commission had looked at alternate solutions such as calling for a proposal request or outsourcing disposal service instead of creating the BREA at all. Other disposal services would require an asphalt staging area, but not a rented grinder, the commission insisted. Franklin’s mulch processing site was brought up as an option, but Bednar said that Franklin’s facility, which has a permanent grinder, cannot be expanded to accommodate Brentwood’s needs.

At one point during the presentation, City Commissioner Anne Dunn stood up and addressed the audience. A few in the crowd continually interrupted the presentation with questions and comments. She stressed that the meeting only represented the planning stages of the park’s master plan and the final decision would be made in September.

“The purpose of this meeting is to decide where the BREA would be located if it is built,” Dunn said. “If is the operative word.”

The presentation can be viewed on the city’s website by clicking here.