Planning Director Rejects Blog's Claim That He is Giving Up Planning's Alternative

Rick Bernhardt rejected Matt Pulle's conjecture that his scheduled NY trip with several Bells Bend residents to a rural conservation retreat signals a softening of his support of Planning's alternative high-density vision for rural Bells Bend:

I am sorry to disappoint Mr. Pulle. The staff recommendation has been published, is sound and will not fundamentally change. I believe that the staff recommended policies are the best and most appropriate means to balance the long-term environmental and economic interests of the entire community. However, the final decision on the future of this area will be made by the Planning Commission and the Metro Council. Regardless of the decision, the opportunity to learn from the Adirondack Institute and apply the lessons learned there to this situation or other areas in Davidson County is appropriate. The goal of preserving the Scottsboro-Bells Bend corridor is important and at the core of the policies of the plan amendment.

Is there really balance in a proposal that claims to conserve 900 acres, a huge swath of which is floodplain and would not be even if it weren't conserved? That's protection from convenience rather than bold, yet balanced environmentalism.