Regardless of what happens to the fair itself, I agree with those who say it would be nuts for Metro to sell so much public greenspace to developers instead of making it something valuable to the entire city as well as the surrounding neighborhoods.
The least inspiring comment on the fate of the fairgrounds came from former council member Ronnie Greer who told a TV reporter that the fair needs to stay so that kids who would otherwise never see a cow can see a cow.
The real question is whether any good can come from pro-growth former council member Buck Dozier being in charge of the stewards of this public property.
I attended last nights meeting. I don't think the question is whether or not to continue with the fair...NOT having a fair was clearly taken off the table as a solution--the fair stays, location is in question. However, the real points are: 1) How can the city fulfill the charter by continuing a fair and still have a profitable entity? 2) Does selling the property to relocate to another property make sense to the communities: financially, economically, historically? 2) What is the highest best use for the fair/fairgrounds WHEREVER is it located? 3) While the race fans may have inundated the web input, the neighborhood is clearly opposed to the noise, traffic and lack of other use of the facility, so it's fate seems to be the only one in question. 4) We now are sure that is it not the responsibility of the fair to maintain a racetrack, the track is simply a tenant (a not so very profitable one at that). So, not to worry, kids will still get to see cows. WHERE they will need to go and how viable the facility they go to is the question. Finally, Nashville is stepping up to the standards of every other state--it's long overdue.
ReplyDeleteI can see cows no more that a mile outside of town. There are cows all along northern Briley, immediately after the Natchez Trace. A comment to that effect is laughable in this two block long town.
ReplyDeleteAnd with the slow melt down of the industrial food complex, a resurgence of organic and natural food production, and the punishing cost of transportation, you just might see even more cows *in* town. Oh yeah, why is it that NASCAR is even allowed to exist in these lean times? Wasting fossil fuel to entertain doofuses instead of using it to power a food distribution network is arrogant at best.
Turn the fairgrounds into a community farm.
=moo
I heard Dozier on WPLN this morning basically saying that the site decision should reflect what makes the most money for the city.
ReplyDeleteInspiring. Visionary.