This Is Smyrna, TN

PART I
Here is part II of a guest column on last weeks historic district meeting from an anonymous submitter. They are very unimpressed with how the process is being carried out.

Another woman hoped to change her signage... and was deferred for another 45 days.

After the commercial district was dealt with, the crowd knew what they had to look forward to, should their homes become part of a town-decreed "historic district." The contempt for the petty bureaucrats in the room had become palpable.

Most attendees were there because they were part of the proposed expansion. They learned that their homes would soon be subject to the tyranny witnessed in the first half of the proceedings - and they wanted none of it.

One after another, people stood and protested the draconian regulations. Would you like to put a grille over your air conditioner? Under the new rules, you'd need approval - even if your house, like mine, was built in the 1950's or later!

In fact, all changes to the exterior would need approval.

One man in the audience yelled "Just leave us alone!" That sentiment seemed strong... yet there were still some calls for tighter zoning to keep run-down rentals and gravel drives out of the neighborhood. Unfortunately, that kept the town's foot in the door. They voted to defer the historic district idea in its current incarnation, but to start a citizen-led committee instead that would work with the town to define new rules.

Whatever happened to the "land of the free?" Rules rules rules!

One woman made the point well. "These are our houses that we paid for and no one should tell us what we should do with our own property!"

Amen to that. And praise to all those who keep up their houses nicely without the oversight of layers of worthless meddlers

When your choices about the land you own are under the direct control of a small group of leaders... are you really free? Or are you a serf.

The serfs fought back today, but we'll see what happens as this process drags out.

I get a feeling this is just a taste of the new "community standards" mentioned in the comprehensive plan that will be forced upon us to make our town bright and glorious....and a bit sad.