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Bradley County Commission votes to send letter opposing state mental health hospital at Pleasant Grove Road site
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Summary
The commission unanimously approved sending a letter to the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and the county’s legislative delegation opposing the proposed placement of a state mental health hospital at 752 Pleasant Grove Road SW, citing lack of transparency, proximity to neighborhoods and schools, and potential negative fiscal effects.
The Bradley County Commission voted Jan. 5 to send a letter to the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and the county's legislative delegation opposing the proposed placement of a state mental health hospital at 752 Pleasant Grove Road SW (map and parcel number 055 007.00).
Commissioner Bobby Goins moved to send the letter; the motion was seconded and approved unanimously. The opposition letter, prepared by Commission Chair Thomas L. Crye and recorded as an attachment to the meeting packet, criticized the state for pursuing property acquisition without notifying county leadership and asked the state to pause further action at the site.
The letter cites several concerns: lack of transparency in the state's site acquisition process; potential deterrent effects on future development around Exit 20; the facility's proximity to existing residential neighborhoods and planned schools; and a fiscal impact from the state ownership of the site that would remove property and fire-tax revenue for the county.
Chair Crye wrote that "this deliberate lack of communication has understandably generated significant opposition among residents," and asked that the state consider alternative locations and include transparent, meaningful engagement with directly affected communities.
Why it matters: The commission's formal opposition signals coordinated local resistance to the state's proposed site and frames county priorities around local planning, school siting and economic development. The letter also requests that the state pause site activity and consult county leadership.
Next steps: The county clerk recorded the letter as an attachment; the commission did not vote to take further legal action during the meeting. The meeting adjourned at 7:42 p.m. EST.