Are More Condos in Brentwood's Future?

Searching the pre-election campaign financial disclosure statements for today's Brentwood City Commission election showed a couple items that piqued our interest. We'll delve into more of them as time permits, but here are two not mentioned previously:

• Incumbent Mayor Joe Reagan and Vice Mayor Paul Webb both received a $250 contribution from the Home Builders Association PAC. The address listed is 9007 Overlook Boulevard in Brentwood making this the Home Builders Association of Middle Tennessee. Two names from the "About Us" page there are Reese Smith, III, (see next item) and Bill Kottas. Smith is listed as a National Director and Kottas is listed as a Life Member under Local Directors. Smith is currently the president of Haury & Smith Contractors, while Kottas is a partner with Cates-Kottas Development. 
• Reese Smith, III, and Stephen B. Smith (Chairman of the Board at Haury & Smith Contractors) are both listed as campaign donors to candidates Rod Freeman, Regina Smithson, & Paul Webb. Reese Smith gave $250 to both Freeman and Webb as did Stephen Smith. Candidate Regina Smithson received $500 from both Reese Smith and Stephen Smith. All the contributions were made on April 15.

Given that Brentwood is approaching residential "build-out" barring future annexation or rezoning, contributions from the Home Builders Association of Middle Tennessee are somewhat curious. More curious are the contributions from the President and Board Chair of Haury & Smith because of the current focus of their development projects: condominiums.

Cloverland Hall, a $10 million Haury & Smith development of condominiums south of Old Hickory Boulevard, features 31 units on 8 acres according to a February 2003 story in the Nashville Business Journal by Phillip Nannie. Some other statements from the Haury & Smith website include:

•  ". . . we pioneered the construction of condominium developments in Middle Tennessee."
  
•  ". . . the most successful garden-style condominium project in the Mid-South."
• "A move to active-adult communities continued in the 90s . . . "
• "A niche market identifies Haury & Smith in the Green Hills area with 'infield re-development'." (infill redevelopment?)
• "The company has identified many sites for their boutique communities of patio homes."

If "infield redevelopment" is, in fact, infill redevelopment, the Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington website has a very informative section about what infill redevelopment is. A few quotes from the MRSC site:

"Successful infill development is characterized by overall residential densities high enough to support improved transportation choices as well as a wider variety of convenience services and amenities."

"A cooperative partnership between government, the development community, financial institutions, non-profit organizations, neighborhood organizations and other resources is essential to achieve infill success."

With OSRD-IP zoning and other recent movement towards options other than one-unit per acre residential density in Brentwood, is it possible that Haury & Smith see further potential for development of condominiums in the city that will require some partnering with city officials to make a reality? Just something to keep an eye on in the coming years -- no matter who wins today.

Give me a Nickel, Brother can you spare a Dime?

The 10 Brentwood City Commission candidates recently filed financial disclosure statements covering January 1 through March 31, 2009. Examination of the filings reveals some interesting information -- doesn't it always?

How much did the candidates spend at Brentwood businesses on campaign expenses?

Rhea Little spent $5946.92

Paul Webb spent $3465.85

Rod Freeman spent $2492.61 

Other than federal postage purchased in Brentwood (which generates no city revenue), no other itemized candidate expenses went to Brentwood businesses.

How much did the candidates spend OUTSIDE Brentwood?

Joe Reagan spent $4918.47 

• ($2629 to Nashville-based Comcast TV advertising; $1613.05 to Illinois-based company for yard signs and t-shirts; $323.47 to Franklin-based printer; $200 to Joelton-based web designer; $152.95 to Franklin-based magnetic sign company)

Devin McClendon spent $2249.40 

• ($1909 to California-based yard sign company; $223 on digital printing & $116 on emails to separate Nashville-based companies)

Rhea Little spent $1831.47 

• (Pennsylvania-based yard sign company)

Rod Freeman spent $462.25 

• (BrentwoodLife newspaper advertising)

Paul Webb spent $452.29 

• ($289.51 to Nashville-based t-shirt company; $162.78 on Nashville-based computer software)
  

Candidate Regina Smithson's only itemized expenditure on this filing was for mailing labels available only at the county offices in Franklin. Candidates Patsy George, Lydia Hampton, Natalie Mertie, and Miguel Palmer were not required to itemize expenses so it's unknown how much of their expenditures were spent in Brentwood. 

Since purchases from Brentwood businesses generates sales tax revenue for the City of Brentwood in the amount of 1.125%, every dollar spent in Brentwood produces about one cent for the city coffers. That's in addition to the 1.125% that goes to Williamson County Schools. 

So, to candidates Rhea Little, Paul Webb, and Rod Freeman -- THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF BRENTWOOD BUSINESSES. (Maybe next time your spending can be "exclusively" Brentwood-based!)

And to candidates Joe Reagan and Devin McClendon -- BRENTWOOD WOULD LOVE YOUR BUSINESS.

For candidates George, Hampton, Mertie, Palmer, and Smithson -- when the time comes to spend some campaign funds, we hope you SPEND IT IN BRENTWOOD.