A wine, cheese and dog-biscuit party is being thrown on Thursday to celebrate the new Murphy Road location of come.sit.stay, the pet marketplace that used to be in Belle Meade. The store stocks pet beds, collars, sweaters and more. There’s even some doggie jewelry to be had. “A boutique seems a little uppity to me sometimes,” store owner Robin Cohn said. “I just refer to it as a pet marketplace. Some people would call it a boutique. I don’t care either way. Just come see me - and bring your dog.”Come.sit.stay has recently relocated from Belle Meade to Sylvan Park. The store is open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, check out the store Web site or call (615) 352-8600. [Image source: stiffsteiffs.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk]
Barry Burnette, owner of Produce Place, said he must be meticulous about labeling. Some of his produce, for example, is grown at a Kentucky-based Amish farm that has used organic growing techniques for centuries. But the farm has not undertaken the costly and time-consuming process of obtaining USDA certification, so Burnette must label their goods “Pesticide-Free” rather than “Organic.”The focus of the story is on the increasing popularity of organic produce and the risk that not all food labeled organic lives up to that standard. You won't have to worry about that at The Produce Place.
Perhaps in anticipation of neighborhood concern, a developer with a contract pending to buy the nine-plus-acre Free Will Baptist Bible College campus, has drawn up two plans for developing the high-profile site and is asking the local neighborhood association to take its pick.These changes may not have an immediate effect on Sylvan Park, but they could lead to increased use of Bowling Avenue to access Murphy Road. Then again, in my personal opinion, several buildings on the campus stand out as inconsistent compared with the historic homes surrounding the campus, so homes built to match those styles may be an improvement. What do you think?
Darren Cioffi confirmed yesterday plans to purchase the West End property near Interstate 440 for $16.75 million later this year. Cioffi said his company, Monument Property, Inc., and the other developers to whom he will later resell some of the land, will likely develop between $60-$100 million in housing on the campus, situated in the Richland West End neighborhood, where historic, single-family homes sell starting at about $700,000.
Last month, Cioffi sought the association’s support for rezoning the property, which is couched between Richland Avenue to the northwest and West End Avenue — across from Elmington Park — a move he said will allow him to preserve and restore four historic homes the college owns on West End. Without the rezoning, which would allow Cioffi to build some condominiums in existing buildings along Richland Avenue, he said he likely will sell the West End houses to other developers, who could demolish them and replace them with condominiums.
The rezoning, to a “Specific Plan” land use, would allow Cioffi to pad the Richland Avenue side of the property with a higher-than-now-allowed residential density, allowing him to build the condominiums he wants and to compensate for the money to be lost by saving the four West End Avenue homes and, also, a park the college owns at the corner of Richland and Craighead avenues.
Candidates must be at least 21, a citizen of the United States, have at least 60 semester hours from an accredited college or university, OR have at least two years of active military duty within three years of the application date, OR have two years of prior law enforcement experience, OR have at least five years of responsible work experience. All candidates must possess a high school diploma or equivalent. Candidates must not have been convicted of any felony or violations of law relating to force, violence, theft, dishonesty, gambling, liquor, or controlled substances.If you are interested in being tested, call (615) 862-7341 for more information.
Keep your eyes peeled on both blogs for information in or near
Scheduled to open in the spring of 2007 are the following: Target, Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Marshall’s. Phase 2 which is scheduled to open in the winter of 2007 or early 2008 are Pier One, Old Navy and a large book store. Phase 3 to be completed in 2008 will see Pet Smart, Staples, Party City and McDonalds, Starbucks, Panera Bread and an upscale restaurant. In addition, in the spring of 2008, there will be a four-acre plaza surrounded by four nice restaurants, all with terraces that overlook the plaza. The plaza will be a community park where families can spend time together. This project is very exciting for the west side of town. So long thirty minute drive to Cool Springs!This area near our neighborhood is about to change substantially. What a dramatic transition.
West Precinct detectives charged 24 persons as the result of investigations in the 600 block of American Road, the 3700 block of Charlotte Avenue, 28th Avenue North at Clifton Avenue, 25th Avenue North, Merry Street, the 5900 block of O’Brien Avenue, the 1800 block of Jefferson Street, the 900 block of 16th Avenue North, the 700 block of 28th Avenue North, Dr. D.B. Todd Jr. Boulevard, 27th Avenue North, and 14th Avenue North at Herman Street. Seized were 27 grams of cocaine, two grams of marijuana, 100 Ecstasy pills, one vehicle, and $1,435.00 cash.Please report criminal activity to the police by calling (615) 862-8600. Drug activity can also be reported anonymously by calling (615) 244-DOPE (3673). Accurate and timely reporting by residents allows the police to adjust patrolling accordingly to reduce crime in the neighborhood.
One of last night's council votes that passed under the mainstream media's radar was on the resolution that would exempt car washes from a previous bill that required certain businesses to get neighborhood approval. The council voted to approve the resolution on 2nd reading after a public hearing. One proponent, a vendor, spoke in favor of the bill; three opponents, including the White Bridge President, spoke against the bill.The bill will require a third reading prior to becoming law. At its December meeting, SPNA voted to support the White Bridge Neighborhood Association in opposing the car wash resolution. If you would like to share your opinion in favor of or against this resolution, consider sending a message to the Metro Council.
Some White Bridge neighborhood leaders interpreted last night's exemption bill to be a means of sneaking previously denied businesses "in the back door." Council Member John Summers charged during the debate that that was exactly what was happening in one of his neighborhoods, which had rejected a car wash proposal. According to Summers that proposal came from the friend of exemption bill co-sponsor, Charlie Tygard.
For his part, Tygard argued that the businesses that could go into these commercial properties could be worse than a car wash (he mentioned over-21 video stores and halfway houses).
The general purpose of SPNA is to provide opportunities for the residents and others interested in the Sylvan Park community to work together to improve the conditions and quality of life within the community. In carrying out this goal, SPNA's function shall include:
Resident membership shall be open to all persons who reside in the area defined specifically as, and known as, Sylvan Park ... All resident members who have paid dues for a given year are eligible to vote in that year. Any number of adults (persons eighteen [18] years of age or older) in a household may become resident members by paying annual dues.You are also welcome to join by mail (see the home page for details) or at the SPNA membership meeting on Monday, January 8. Hope to see you there!
[Image: The Tennessean]Barry Burnette, owner of The Produce Place in Sylvan Park, says he has to be careful about chasing trends. "We don't have the space to give six inches to anything that isn't hitting the mark," he says. So what has gotten his attention? "Kombucha. It's huge right now." He has customers who buy the product (made from fermented mushrooms) by the case, which is why it occupies two coveted shelves in his cooler.
"The first time I tried it, I said, 'Man, that stuff's gone hard,' " he says with a laugh. However, many health-food advocates see drinks like kombucha, along with other fermented foods like sauerkraut, Ethiopian injera bread and Korean kimchi, as a growing trend in everything from cancer control to keeping HIV in check. "My customers glow when they talk about it," Burnette says.
