In 2016, hundreds of new jobs were added; a significantly higher population was officially counted; city awards were won; a towering 1.5-million-gallon water tank was completed; and one of Spring Hill’s most critical road projects is now poised to move into the construction phase.
The year 2016 was another exciting and prosperous one for Spring Hill. Here’s a look at some of the many highlights and accomplishments:
1.) The City of Spring Hill had issued 693 residential building permits (296 on the Maury County side; 397 on the Williamson County side) as of Dec. 29, 2016, compared to 576 permits in 2015. If all 2016 permitted homes were built next year – with a local average of 3 residents per household it would add 2,079 new residents in only one year.
2.) Additional splash pad features and creek overlook decks were added to Port Royal Park, our city’s largest park.
3.) Roadway impact fees approved in December 2015 took effect in Spring 2016. Fees levied on commercial development impacts are being phased in over three years.
4.) Spring Hill ranked 2nd among the “Hardest Working Places in Tennessee.” (April 14, 2016, Zippia.com, career website)
5.) The 1.5-million-gallon Hardin’s Landing water storage tank was officially completed April 9, improving water pressure throughout the city. The tank was the result of more than a decade of planning and a year and a half of construction to meet our growing city’s demands for water capacity and pressure.
6.) A new traffic signal was installed at U.S. 31 and Miles Johnson Parkway.
7.) Spring Hill ranked 3rd among the “50 Best Places to Live in Tennessee.”(May 25, 2016, rentapplication.com, real estate website)
8.) The City of Spring Hill received $375,000 in HOME grant funds from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency for rehabilitating owner-occupied homes within city limits.
9.) The 2016 Spring Hill Special Census certified the population at 36,530, a gain of 4,477 residents in only two years, bringing in over $550,000 in new annual state revenues.
10.) Spring Hill was ranked the fifth most successful city in Tennessee. (July 28, 2016, Zippia.com, a career mapping website)
11.) The City was awarded a $26,409 TDEC energy grant to install a series of energy efficiency projects at three City facilities that will create significant taxpayer savings on municipal utility costs. The 50/50 matching grant will fund half the cost of the projects up to $55,319.
12.) Spring Hill ranked No. 2 on a national ranking of the “Best Small Cities for Families.” (Aug. 2, 2016, by NerdWallet)
13.) Right-of-way is on track to be acquired by the year’s end, and the widening of Duplex Road is expected to get under construction in mid-2017, including a sidewalk and multi-use path.
14.) The City assembled a package of nine traffic improvement projects for U.S. 31 (Main Street/Columbia Pike), on which construction begins in 2017.
15.) TDOT announced a State Industrial Access project to extend Saturn Parkway to Beechcroft Road, along with a safety project that will help widen a portion of Beechcroft. The project has been funded for right-of-way acquisition in 2017.
16.) A study was completed for the future widening and extension of Buckner Road. The City will be holding more public meetings about this project in 2017.
17.) The City funded a new I-65 interchange study after the state required roadway impacts to be studied over a much larger geographic area than previously considered.
18.) Five storm water drainage improvement projects were completed in 2016.
19.) The voluntary annexation of the historic Rippavilla Plantation is moving through the due diligence process, and likely will go to the BOMA for a vote later this winter.
20.) A design was created for the expansion of City Hall to meet staff expansion needs. Construction is expected to begin this spring.
21.) Armada Nutrition, a food packaging company, announced in October it will expand operations in Spring Hill by investing $2.1 million, retaining 111 Capstone jobs, and creating 310 additional jobs over five years.
22.) The City designed a way to widen U.S. 31 and avoid prohibitively expensive right-of-way purchases. The widening of U.S. 31 now sits atop the Nashville Area MPO’s fully funded regional transportation project list. The next step will be conducting an environmental study.
23.) Comprehensive Logistics Inc. expanded its Beechcroft Road location by about 100,000 square feet, adding a $17.4 million capital investment that created 178 new jobs.
24.) Spring Hill was listed among three online rankings of the top five safest cities in Tennessee, including the latest on Nov. 30, by ValuePenguin, a consumer research company, ranking Spring Hill the third “Safest Large City in Tennessee.”
25.) The Tennessee Chapter of the American Planning Association (TAPA) awarded the City of Spring Hill a 2016 Outstanding Planning Award for the Crossings Circle Transportation Study conducted by City-commissioned consultants, Kimley-Horn.
26.) GM invested $788.7 million into the local GM Spring Hill Manufacturing Plant for an all-new, high-efficiency engine program, as well as projects to modernize the vehicle programs, creating 792 new jobs, and retaining 16 jobs.
27.) GM invested $148 million to repurpose flexible machining and assembly equipment to build V8 engines for pickups and SUVS for the first time at Spring Hill Manufacturing, retaining about 200 jobs.
28.) The City of Spring Hill Neighborhood Sidewalk Program has built miles of new sidewalks by annually putting aside dollars that allow neighborhoods to submit sidewalk projects and financially partner with the City to put needed walkways from where they live to nearby schools and retail centers. New sidewalk projects are on the way in 2017.
29.) Tenneco, a global parts manufacturer, announced in the summer it was creating 200 new manufacturing jobs during the next three years along Beechcroft Road in Spring Hill.
30.) Spring Hill Public Library began offering library cardholders access to over 9 million downloadable songs from 28,000 labels through Freegal Music Service, and access to music videos.
31.) Among Tennessee cities of at least 10,000 residents, Spring Hill continued in 2016 to experience the fastest growth rate in the state.
32.) The City of Spring Hill was the 2016 recipient of the Tennessee City Management Association (TCMA)’s “Award for Excellence in Municipal Government” for a series of successful in-house planning initiatives and community improvements.
33.) GM Spring Hill Manufacturing added a third shift and 650 jobs to increase output of the recently launched Cadillac XT5 and GMC Acadia.
34.) Southeast Ventures is proposing a large, mixed-use development on the 775-acre tract in the northeast corner of the city known as the Alexander Farms property. The development of this property is key to the future expansion of Buckner Road, and continuing the City’s push for an I-65 interchange at Buckner.
35.) The Maury County Board of Education in December unanimously approved a $2.75 million purchase of 242 acres off Mahlon Moore Road in Spring Hill to build three separate schools on a K-12 campus model in anticipation of classrooms being on track to soon surpass capacity.
36.) Spring Hill was ranked third among the “12 Best Towns in Tennessee to Put Down Roots and Call Home.” (Dec. 4, onlyinyourstate.com, travel site)
37.) The roadway connection between Publix and Walmart was completed, connecting the two parking lots for easy traffic access and reducing U.S. 31 traffic.
38.) The City of Spring Hill Office of Economic Development was created through the formation of a new staff position, economic development coordinator, to oversee economic development recruitment efforts. The position is now held by former Alderman Kayce Williams.
39.) Following a 21-month right-of-way acquisition process, a long-needed traffic signal was installed at Duplex Road and Port Royal Road.
40.) In 2016, Spring Hill became the 18th largest city in Tennessee, surpassing Columbia (19), Gallatin (20), Lebanon (21), LaVergne (22), Cookeville (23), Oak Ridge (24) and Morristown (25), since the last federal census. In 2010, Spring Hill had been ranked 24th in population among Tennessee municipalities.
41.) The City of Spring Hill contracted with Columbia Power and Water Systems to bring a fiber network into Spring Hill. The project, now under construction, will provide phone service at a lower cost and exponentially faster 1G Internet service.
42.) The voluntary annexation of the Workforce Development and Conference Center at Northfield is moving through the due diligence process, and likely will go to the BOMA for a vote later this winter.
43.) Spring Hill Fire, Police and E-911 Dispatch were budgeted in 2016 for eight new hires, and went live with much needed Tyler and RMS public safety software.
44.) Spring Hill E-911 Dispatch implemented new Pro QA software that reduced telecommunicators’ time in aiding emergency callers while waiting for first responders to arrive. On Dec. 13, new technology also allowed our dispatch center to receive mobile phone calls from Williamson County rather than transferring these calls to dispatchers, saving valuable time.
