Developer Yanks Thompson's Station Project That Prompted State's Smallest Election

THOMPSON'S STATION, TN — Add another and, possibly, final footnote to one of the most bizarre referenda in Tennessee history.

The December referendum to annex the 700-acre Eagle's Rest Farm into Thompson's Station had only two voters — the property's owners, Gary and Portia Baker. The Bakers both voted early, but, as required by law, the polls were open on December 15 with five poll workers stationed at Independence High School for 11 hours at a cost of $4,000. It is believed to be the referendum with the fewest number of eligible voters in Tennessee history (and, perhaps, the only one with 100 percent turnout). And now, it's moot.

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The annexation was needed for the 1200-acre, 800-home Two Farms development, which was to include retail and an 18-hole golf course, to move forward. The Tennessean reports that one of the project's developers, Arizona-based Discovery Land Company, told the Town of Thompson's Station that it is dropping the rezoning request.

"Unfortunately, we didn't find the ground water needed for the golf course and are not able to move forward. Please withdraw the request," Discovery president Tom Collopy wrote in an email to town planner Wendy Deats. "We have introduced the project to several high quality residential developers who have an interest but unfortunately will not work for (Discovery Land Company)."

It is now unclear if the project which caused the strange election will move forward at all.

The referendum was required because Eagle's Rest was outside of Thompson's Station's urban growth boundary, basically the outer limits of a municipality's annexation authority set during negotiations between Williamson County and its municipalities in the 1990s.

Thompson's Station nevertheless moved to annex Eagle's Rest, but the county challenged that action in November 2015, saying that state law required a referendum of either the entire town or the affected property owners to annex outside the UGB. So in October 2016, Thompson's Station called for a referendum with a grand total of two voters.

"It's the lowest I've ever heard," Williamson County Administrator of Elections Chad Gray told Patch in December. "But, we have to treat this like any other election, even though there's only one polling place and one contest. We have required public notices that have to be printed in newspapers of general circulation. We have to hold a minimum of two election commission meetings, to set the date and certify the election, and five poll workers."

And, because the referendum was contested, so to speak, Williamson County had to provide early voting opportunities beginning 20 days from Election Day, an opportunity the Bakers took advantage of.

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