Meeting with the developers

Our understanding was that we (the community leaders) were supposed to get with the developers and come up with some sort of compromise. After all that’s what White had said.

Here’s a breakdown of our correspondence with the developers:

The day after our community meeting I contacted Jim Murphy with CSP Associates via email.

3/16

Jim- Thank you for attending last night and for your insight. I am available any night the week of 3/26. I will also contact a couple of the residents and double check their schedules. Please contact your folks and let me know what looks good for them. We really want to come to a compromise so that everyone is happy.

Sincerely,
Cindy


Thanks Cindy, I will get back with you early next week once I have a better handle on my schedule. Jim.

3/20

Cindy: Monday (3/27) or Wednesday (3/29) would for us. I would like to suggest that we meet at approximately 5:45 pm at Maryland Farms in Brentwood. This would allow us to look at the 5210 Maryland Way Building ( Hermitage Medical Center will be similiar in size and design ). We would then like to take you and other community leaders to dinner at Sperry's in Cool Springs. A private dining room will be available for our use. I look forward to hearing back from you regarding our meeting plans. Thanks for your time and consideration. Jim.

3/22

Cindy : As a follow-up to our discussion at this past Tuesday's (3/20/07 ) Metro Council Meeting, I would once again like to extend our invitation to meet for dinner to further review and discuss our plan of development. I still think that it would be most helpful to visit the "5210" building in Maryland Farms prior to dinner. This building is very similar in size, (square footage) scope and design to our plan of development for Hermitage Medical Center. I would be happy to reserve a private dining room at Sperry's for you and other selected community leaders. Monday 3/26 and /or Wednesday 3/28 would work for us. Please advise should either one of these dates or another suitable time work for your schedule Thank-you again for your time and consideration. Jim (included his cell phone number)

Jim- Thanks for the email. It turns out that neither Monday, 3/26 or Wednesday, 3/28 are good for us. There is a DHNA meeting on Monday and Pastor Taft would like to be included but has church on Wednesday.

Am I right to say that the 3rd reading has been deferred, meaning it won’t come up two weeks from Tuesday? Do we have a little more time? If you could give us some additional dates that would work for your bunch, then I’ll do the same.

Thanks,
Cindy

3/26

Good morning Cindy , thank-you for getting back with me. In regards to additional dates we will probably have to look at some times after the Easter holiday break. Also I would like to pick-up a copy of the "hospital letter" that you read into the record at the 3/15/07 neighborhood meeting. Thanks again, Jim.

Great. Let’s go ahead and get a date set. Let me know some dates that work for you. Thanks, Cindy

Cindy : As it turns out we do have a free night prior to Easter, how does Monday April 2nd work for your group? Can I also pick up a copy of the hospital letter? Thanks, Jim.

3/28

Jim- We are not available on April 2. There is a DHNA board meeting that night. Please find out all dates that your folks are available for the weeks of 4/9 and 4/16.

I do not feel comfortable giving you the letter. It was, however, sent to the councilmen if you’d like to contact one of them.

Thanks!!!
Cindy

Thanks Cindy, I will get back with you.

4/3

Cindy : Our group is available for a dinner meeting on Tuesday April 10,2007 or lunch on Friday April 13, 2007. Please let me know if either one of these dates will work for your group. Also please provide the names and physical addresses of members of your group who plan to attend said meeting. Thanks, Jim.

4/10

Jim- Tonight doesn’t work. Lunch will not work as we have a teacher in the group. I am working on getting some more dates. Will get back to you soon.

Thanks Cindy.

4/11

Jim- Check and see if Monday, April 30 would work for your group. Thanks, Cindy

4/12

Cindy: Doctor Chris Pardue will be out of town and unable to meet on 4/30/07. Jim.

4/16

Good morning Cindy, we have reserved the community meeting room at the Hermitage Police precinct on Thursday May 3,2007. Meeting time will be at 6:30 P.M. Looking forward to meeting with you again. Thanks, Jim.

Are you all available Friday, April 27?

Thursday, May 3 doesn’t work for us.

4/17

Good morning Cindy: I have been trying to juggle schedules on our side in regards to a suitable meeting time. Dr Pardue will be out of town during late April. Therefore we are going ahead with our planned meeting time of 5/3/07. This date should provide enough lead time to allow members of your side to attend said meeting. Thank you for your time and consideration in regards to this matter. Jim.

Jim- Let’s be fair here. I realize that you have deadlines and would like to move forward. However, we have conflicts that should be worked around too. May 3 does not work for a couple of the main players in our group. If Dr. Pardue was out of town you wouldn’t hold the meeting. A couple of the council members would like to attend so we are working with their schedules as well.

Would any day next week (besides 4/26) work for your group?

4/19

Cindy: The 5/3/07 date works best for most of our group. Please let your members know that the room has already been reserved for said date. See you in a couple of weeks. Jim.


Jim- April 30 works best for ALL of our group. Let’s remember whose neighborhood that you are coming into! It’s our neighborhood!!! Truthfully, I am really tired of dealing with it, which makes me VERY frustrated. And, I am here to tell you that we WILL NOT be bullied!!!

Let your group know that we have the Hermitage First Baptist Church reserved for the evening of Monday, April 30.

After that Susan Floyd, president of DHNA (Donelso- Hermitage Neighborhood Association) corresponded with Jim Murphy and got the same responses. Then we email Harold White several times, (starting on April 27) including a copy to the council saying that we can't meet on this date and that the developers were well aware of that.

On May 3 (date they reserved the communtiy center) at 1:14pm White sends
this email to Susan Floyd and council members:

It has come to my attention that the developer and the neighborhood
group/leader have been unable to agree upon a satisfactory meeting date
regarding the above described project. I appreciate both sides suggesting
several prospective dates during the last (6) weeks. However, in the interest
of being fair to both parties I have canceled the scheduled neighborhood meeting of May 3, 2007 . Said meeting has now been re-scheduled for Monday, May 7, 2007 at 6:30 pm at the Hermitage Police Precinct community meeting room.

It is my sincere hope that representatives from both parties will be able to attend.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this matter.

Harold White
Councilman
14th
District

So this gives 4 days to prepare. Truthfully, and this point I was drained, tired of dealing with it. One of Mr. Loring's previous statements was that "There's been a lot of work that's gone into this project." He's right! And, half of all that work was done by us--the neighborhood!!!! The big difference is that the developers pay people to do work for them.