The essence of the planning power struggle in Tullahoma is a misunderstanding of the word planning. A duly appointed and professionally qualified planning commission should only be concerned with the future. They, of course, deal with the day to day zoning decisions as needed, but the real value is in a comprehensive plan that encourages and manages growth to appropriate infrastructure for a community. Their one goal is to build a plan that future generations can follow to healthy community growth. A plan every Gen X’r who came back here to live wishes had been created in 1985. What Save Tullahoma and the BOMA have created is an unqualified planning committee that is solely concerned with established older citizens present comfort level. Everyone who grew up here and came back to live knows how much you sacrifice in economic and cultural opportunities to live in Tullahoma. We stand here today on the precipice of unprecedented growth and needed economic opportunity. A direct path to a future where kids right out of college or the military can come back here instead of being forced to establish their careers in a bigger city with more jobs and affordable housing. Do we want to plan for them or take care of the immediate needs of their already established predecessors who want to “Save Tullahoma” for themselves by insuring that these opportunities do not come to fruition?

Ryan Woodward

Tullahoma