MORE POLITICAL FAVORS-BENSON ROAD

Councilman Harold White attempted to grant another campaign favor for Johnny Harwell from Hermitage. Harwell lives in district 12, but owns the property for Two Rivers Ford, their body shop, and the Plantation House restaurant in Donelson. Harwell had purchased the first home on Benson Road in Donelson and wanted White to rezone it Commercial for him.

Benson Road is a quiet dead-end street that overlooks the river. The neighbors who lived on Benson Road became furious when the rezoning sign was posted. They were strongly against any commercial encroachment into their neighborhood.

Harwell wanted to tear down the house, pave the lot, put up a huge fence and bright security lights. He wanted to store cars there from the body shop.

The neighbors held a meeting and invited their councilman Harold White. They expressed their opposition and asked White to represent their wishes as he had promised to do in his campaign letters. Councilman White told them that he was in favor of this lot being rezoned commercial. He told the neighbors that Harwell paid more property taxes than all of them put together. White's really upset the residents of Benson Road when he told them, "You people don't mean anything to me. You are just 33 votes."

The neighbors asked the Donelson-Hermitage Neighborhood Association to hold a community meeting for them. White left early. One hundred percent of the neighbors were against the commercial rezoning.

White sponsored the bill at Metro Council anyway and tried his best to push it through. The neighbors all came to the council and spoke against it. They submitted a petition with signatures from 100% of the residents in opposition. White ignored them, but Councilman David Briley pointed out a conflict with the SUBAREA PLAN. Briley deferred the bill and asked that it be sent back to the Planning Commission.
The neighborhood is safe for now, but it is safe to say that Harold White is guaranteed to be at least 33 votes short on August 2nd.

Look closely at the picture of the campaign financial disclosure. Councilman Harold White cannot even spell Hermitage correctly.