No Cell Tower at Historic Bluefield's!

A 120 foot Communications Cell Tower has been proposed to be placed on Railway Land next to (and on) private Bluefield Residential properties at the Donelson Pike and Bluefield Avenue end. This would have devastating effect on our Historic Neighborhood that has been a railway line neighbor for close to 100 years. Not only will property values be effected by the towers mamoth appearence (that most likely will be seen in winter from all over Bluefields), but critical sound and visual tree barriers will be removed and railway land pollutants that date over 100 years including fuel, old railway ties and equipment will be disturbed and released to contaminate immediate residential properties - properties that have a over 14 young children that play daily in their back yards.

An information meeting was held with the Railway Line and Tower Project Engineers and Leaders on Tuesday evening at Fifty Forward and the following information was established from that meeting and research post this meeting.

Here's What We Know Now:

• The cell tower is being presented as the railway's solution to a federal mandate created for Class 1 Railway Lines known as PTC (Positive Train Control). Nashville & Eastern Railway Line is a Class 3 Railway Line and it is unclear what their responsibility is in relation to PTC.  Many Class 3 Railway Lines are not required currently to implement PTC.
  
  
• The cell tower is proposed to be 120 feet high, with a base of 30 * 50 feet with 8 foot barbed wire fence surrounding it – being proposed to be built within feet of Blufields residents' properties. Trees that provide critical sound and visual barriers for residents from the railway line may be removed as part of this installation.
  
  
• The cell tower is proposed on federally owned railway land that is directly connected to residents' private properties (on the Bluefield Avenue side of the railway line).
  
  
• AT&T appears to be heavily involved in this project, with management and engineering companies from Florida and Washington DC leading the project.
  
  
• Coincidently AT&T appears to have several local lawsuits within Davidson County and Wilson County in relation to proposed cell towers and their proximity to neighborhoods and schools.
  
  
• This project appears to have been in planning stage for up to 6-12 months without any notification and impact consideration to our historic neighborhood.
  
  
• This size tower within feet of private residents is expected to significantly reduce property values with an expected 20 to 30 houses having clear visibility in the winter months at minimum. We believe property value reducation will have a ripple affect throughout the entire 250 household neighborhood.
  
  
• Environmental studies being performed have also raised our awareness of potential hazardous materials (old fuel and railway ties and equipment buried in this railway land over the last 100 years.) Disturbing this area may release contaminants that could harm immediate neighbors. 14 children live and play daily within feet of this proposed area.

Here is Questions We Now Have:

With the preliminary information we been given we have some specific questions we would like answered:

Why was an Impact study for our historic neighborhood not performed first? We believe there are 2 federal laws that may require the Nashville Eastern Railway Line to have performed this first – an FCC requirement references this with PTC compliancy and the Federal National Historic Preservation Act also would require this.

Why weren’t any residents along Bluefield Avenue communicated with in any capacity about this proposed cell tower? Workers could not have performed their intial surveys without being on and disturbing residents' properties.

What are the actual PTC requirements and antenna specs and is this tower's primary purpose to serve and improve railway communications?

Is AT&T assisting in funding this project and if so, what is their specific usage of the tower? We note that NES is also listed on the tower rendering so it appears this tower may be serving many groups besides the railway line operators.

What other locations have been identified for this tower? (in particular, industrial non-residential areas along the line that would not impact neighborhoods)

Can you share the first environmental study that you have performed with us? (as this should be public record according to EPA website)

How Can You Help (and Learn More)....

For more information about "No Cell Tower at Historic Bluefields" - please contact us at:

Joe & Kara Siejakowski - 615-715-8395 - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Peter & Vicki Beare - 615 504-5685 - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

There are 4 ways you can show your support for Historic Bluefields by sending objections to local represenatives, signing our electronic petition, sharing information thru social media and asking Nashville & Eastern Railway to find an industrial location for this tower.

1. Send your objections and concerns to our local representatives:

State Rep. Darren Jernigan
301 6th Avenue North
Suite 24 Legislative Plaza
Nashville, TN 37243
Phone (615)741-6959
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Jim Cooper, US Congressman
605 Church Street
Nashville, TN 37219
phone: (615) 736-5295
fax: (615) 736-7479
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

2. Sign our "No Cell Tower in Historic Bluefields" Online Petition - Join Our Online Petition

3. Spread the word via social media - Donelson, Nashville, and our surrounding counties - This can happen in your neighborhood anywhere in Middle Tennessee - lets spread the word and inform our neighbors to be armed to fight cell tower invasion in residential areas!

4. Ask Nashville & Eastern Railway to find an industrial location for this tower.
William Drunsic, President
800.722.8725 Ext 1
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