Radnor Lake to add 36 acres including ridge along Franklin Road

By Stephanie Toone
The Tennessean, 2/21/2011
Used with permission

The Friends of Radnor Lake recently closed on a deal that will add 36 acres of land, including a ridge along Franklin Road, to the state natural area.

The advocacy group for the lake and natural area continues to raise funds for the $900,000 to purchase the land from the Harris family, said Charley Hankla, president of Friends of Radnor Lake.

The organization has donated $600,000 toward the land acquisition, and will officially donate the land to the state in July.

The newly acquired area, which will be called Harris Ridge, will bring the state natural area's land total to 1,258 acres.

"There's a limited amount of land available that has not been developed, so it's great that we can preserve this property for viewshed and watershed," Hankla said.

"This is land that could have been developed that looks right into the lake."

Ray Harris, trustee for the Harris family, met with Hankla and other Friends of Radnor Lake members about the sale of the land last year.

The Harris family had owned the land since 1966, and had planned to develop the 12 to 15 acres along the ridge for home sites, Hankla said. About five homes would have spread across the hilly area. The economy stalled those plans, according to Hankla.

"Even if they could have moved forward with that development, the costs of building roads and putting utilities on a slope like that would have been expensive," Hankla said.

The ridge oversees downtown Nashville and the north and southwest points of Radnor Lake, said Mack Prichard, state naturalist emeritus. The sloped area below the ridge will allow rainfall to flow into the river.

Both the viewshed and watershed will be an asset to nature conservation in the city and state, Prichard said.

"It's one of the great pearls of our state," he said. "Nashville is becoming an appealing place, so our population continues to grow. Every inch of land we can save is important to securing the serenity and peace that Radnor Lake provides."

Imagine one of the largest undeveloped properties in Oak Hill sitting on a ridge overlooking Radnor Lake State Natural Area. Now picture those 36.8 acres of forest being cleared to make way for 18 houses or five ridgetop mansions. Fortunately, the Harris family, who has owned this property for decades, has recently agreed to sell to the Friends of Radnor Lake. This acquisition will extend the natural boundary of Radnor Lake State Natural Area and support what Radnor does best—preserve the natural habitat for wildlife and waterfowl forever.

With the potential threat of development around Radnor Lake, an opportunity to ensure that Harris Ridge is protected from development forever is an opportunity that can't be missed. The acquisition of Harris Ridge will ultimately protect 12 acres of watershed and 14 acres of viewshed overlooking Radnor Lake.

With an acquisition cost of $900,000, substantially below market value and excluding additional costs, Harris Ridge will require the joint efforts of many Friends of Radnor Lake.  We are pleased to announce that the State of Tennessee has agreed to provide $500,000 of the purchase price with the provision that FORL deed this property and approximately 30 additional acres to the Radnor Lake State Natural Area. As well, the Cal Turner Family Foundation and the Adams Family Foundation have made pledges of $100,000 and $40,000 towards the acquisition of the Harris Tract as part of their continued mission of land conservation.

We are now looking to you to help us raise the balance of $300,000.

Please consider participating!

• Make a contribution to Friends of Radnor Lake, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, whose mission is to preserve, protect and promote the Natural Area through land acquisition, environmental education and park support. Donate here or mail a check to Friends of Radnor Lake, P.O. Box 40324, Nashville, TN 37204.
• Join Park Manager Steve Ward on an off-trail hike in the spring to see Harris Ridge and its importance to the natural area. Hike schedules will be posted at the Visitor Center beginning in April 2011.

Not only will connecting Harris Ridge to Radnor Lake make a difference by protecting the vegetation, wildlife and the "awe inspiring beauty" of Radnor Lake, it will make a difference for generations to come.

Thank you for supporting Radnor Lake State Natural Area.