Rossview Road debate: What strawberry farmer Billy McCraw told the county commission

Billy McCraw felt it was time to be heard.

Backed Monday night by scores of supporters — some bearing signs with blunt, poignant messages about saving the farm — McCraw took his message to Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett and the county commission.

Days earlier, he learned his home and part of his award-winning strawberry farm lie in the path of an eventually-expanding Rossview Road, based on the state Department of Transportation's preliminary road design.

"Friday afternoon I got a call ... where I was told, 'we're going to take your house, the white picket fence ... and the office where you sell your strawberries,'" McCraw said.

He paused.

"Please don't let 'em take the farm."

His brief remarks started a short, monthly informal meeting.

The moment marked the latest chapter in public outcry against eminent domain in a fast-growing county in need of better roads. Residents agree, but argue at what costs.

The construction project could destroy part of McCraw's sweet and succulent legacy, ripened in the Montgomery County sunshine since 2010. McCraw's Strawberry Ranch, located at 2385 Rossview Road, is a region favorite with 10 acres of strawberries and fresh vegetables.

Meanwhile, Durrett is hopeful the road-widening project will not interfere with one of the county's summer treasures.

"I feel pretty confident that we can actually miss the house," Durrett said.

The county needs 15.6 acres of new right-of-way and permanent drainage easements to complete the widening.

McCraw said he learned of the possibility when he attended the March 29 public input meeting on the road widening project, held at Rossview Middle. Others at the meeting last week used the word "preliminary." There are also conflicting statements about total acreage losses entailed in the project.

While McCraw initially understood six or seven acres of his land might be taken, that total, part of unofficial projections, has been scaled back to no more than an acre or slightly more.

Although his home is, indeed, part of that acre.

McCraw confirmed that the Friday phone call he received included that information about the acreage.

"I think the thing to really keep in mind at this point," Durrett said after Monday's commission meeting, "is that this is all preliminary.

"I reached out to Billy and his wife (Teresa) on Friday, and I told (county engineer) Nick (Powell), we need to get our engineers to look at it and see if we can't avoid taking the house."

In review: 'I can't believe it': McCraw family slated to lose home, part of farm in Rossview Road widening

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Friday evening, the county issued a detailed written statement, noting in it that about 80 residents attended the Tuesday night public input meeting at Rossview Middle School. There, officials shared the preliminary design for widening Rossview Road from International Boulevard to east of Kirkwood Road.

The next steps are to evaluate public comments and "make the necessary adjustments that can be made," said the county's statement.

In all, county officials believe about 70 individual properties may be impacted by road widening, and three houses could be impacted enough to require a full purchase of the homes.

Durrett said the widening of Rossview Road is going to be a complex, but necessary project to improve traffic safety, particularly with new schools eventually opening near the juncture of Kirkwood Road. He loosely projects that this segment of the road widening won't be finished until sometime in 2025, and possibly not soon enough to coincide with opening the Kirkwood High.

When that school does open, Rossview Road in that vicinity will be at full traffic capacity, at the very least.

McCraw saidthe battle over his property "is all unnecessary," and he wants the engineers to — as he said he was originally promised — keep the widening project on the side of the road opposite his farm. He said that portion is under the ownership of Moore Design and Construction which has a key stake in building Kirkwood schools and related subdivision development.

In essence, McCraw feels political forces are in play.

The sticking point there, county officials said, is that utilities are already being extended along the road opposite McCraw's property to accommodate the construction happening and about to start.

"The new middle school is opening this August," Durrett said. "As part of the school construction, we had to bring utilities to the site. We have a roadway project that is turning a two-lane road into a four-lane road with a center turn lane in preliminary design.

"There are multiple things happening at the same time. We do not want to spend the time and cost to install a utility this month and turn around in a year to relocate it."

Reach Jimmy Settle at jimmysettle@theleafchronicle.com or 931-245-0247. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to TheLeafChronicle.com.

This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: Will Tennessee take the McCraw strawberry farm for Rossview Road?