LEBANON, Tenn. (WKRN) — Lebanon was recently named one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, and city leaders are working to keep up with the growth.

"When people come to Lebanon, first of all, I hope they see that this is a great city with great people," Lebanon Mayor Rick Bell said.

From new subdivisions to future booming businesses, Lebanon is growing fast.

It was ranked the 12th fastest-growing city in the U.S., with a population jump of 8.9% in just one year, from July 2023 to July 2024.

"I think they are looking for community, and that's what we hold dear to us," Lebanon City Council Member Camille Burdine expressed.

Now home to more than 51,000 people and a daytime population of 58,000, Lebanon is working to manage the impact of more families, traffic and pressure on infrastructure.

"We've had to put a lot of money into infrastructure," Burdine said. "We have recently had to ask our taxpayers to pay a garbage fee."

"Before I became mayor, one of the things I noticed was there wasn't a plan; things were just happening, and if you grow without a plan, it is not going to work," Bell said.

Schools are expanding.

"Those schools are adding new buildings all the time, and it is something we watch," Bell said.

The city is rolling out smart traffic signals to improve traffic signals to improve traffic flow while also expanding some roads.

"We are looking at putting some turn lanes in certain areas of Main Street," Bell said. "TDOT is also spending over $100 million here. They are widening the Hartsville Pike, which will help traffic in the north part of town.

Lebanon is also raising the standard for how new homes look to ensure neighborhoods match the city's character.

"We passed a regulation on single family homes as far as their facade and what the outside materials look like to make sure they are of good quality," Bell said. "We want to have beautiful neighborhoods, tree lined neighborhoods with street trees, sidewalks. We want neighborhoods that the people who live there would be proud of, but the rest of the city would be proud of too."

City leaders are also working to preserve the city's charm and character while welcoming the growth.

"The past is always important to me; it is a great place to raise a family, it always has been, but we need to make sure that continues," Bell said.

New developments must also preserve some of the city's natural beauty.

"If a piece of property is wooded, they can't just strip the trees down; they have to save some of those, and so we have taken some great strides in making sure what development does come is quality," Bell said.

At the same time, the city is investing in what is already here.

"We've had a lot of investors come in and invest in our square, and we have been trying to give out some incentives to bring people here and make it a little easier to redo our square to make those renovations," Burdine said.

But the heart of this growth story still comes down to the people.

"For those that have been here a long time, it really is a challenge because they don't want growth, and I can understand that, but as a council person, we are still trying to make this a community, and it's all about the people," Burdine concluded.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/on-tour-middle-tn/fast-growth-in-lebanon-prompts-push-for-more-infrastructure/