WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Residents have more time to let Williamson County leaders know what they want from a Greenways Master Plan. It's the first time a plan like this has been developed for unincorporated areas of Williamson County.

"The county updated its parks and recreation master plan not long ago and one of the things that came out of that plan was the community expressing an interest in more greenway trails," Williamson County Community Development Director, Mike Matteson, said. "Most of the greenways in unincorporated areas are associated with neighborhoods so they're HOA trails but we're thinking broader here. We're envisioning a network of greenway trails."

They're at the beginning stages of building a plan for greenways that could also direct county leaders on ways to overcome challenges that come with creating a trail network.

"Funding is huge, obviously," Matteson said. "But in terms of placement, most of the property is privately owned."

Roughly 1,200 residents have already taken part in a survey about how they use greenways and where they'd like any new greenways located. The survey deadline has now been extended to May 15.

"A lot of questions about how people use greenways currently, and if they don't, what are the reasons for that — whether it's distance from a greenway, or greenways don't connect them to the kind of destinations that they're interested in. There's also a mapping exercise for people to show where they live or work and where they'd like to go on a greenway," Matteson said. "We're working with a company called Design Workshop. They're based out of Raleigh, and they've done greenway master plans for a lot of communities across the country, which includes Louden County, Virginia, which is kind of parallel to Williamson County in terms of demographics and size."

The U.S. Census estimated that Williamson County had a population of about 269,136 in 2024. That's about 64,000 more people than a state estimate from a decade prior.

"Williamson County has grown pretty rapidly. The growth pressures are there to continue that," Matteson said. "In the unincorporated areas we're trying to preserve the rural character that still exists and the greenway master plan is a component of that because it allows people to not only get from place to place but to experience the beauty and character that we have in our county."

The multimodal aspect of greenways is one of the biggest benefits in the eyes of Bike Walk Brentwood President Marty Tank.

"Being multimodal, there's the traffic aspect of it, so you can use it for transportation as opposed to getting on the congested roads," Tank said, adding there are health benefits as well, both physical and mental. "You get out in nature; you get a little bit of exercise."

Tank is passionate about helping people connect with the outdoors using greenways and trails, having spent years as a mountain biker, including as a competitor. Municipalities like Brentwood, Franklin and Nolensville have worked to connect communities with more greenways. Tank added that for example, mountain bike trails had been built at Smith Park.

"The cities are kind of doing their part right now in building greenways here and there but the county doesn't really have too much right now," Tank said.

Mom and area real estate agent Katie Garrison said she uses a Nolensville greenway that has many people walking from nearby homes.

"There are kids riding bikes on this greenway daily," Garrison said, adding that greenways are a big asset for people who are seeking new homes. "It's a space for families to come together to walk to exercise to stay motivated to stay in the community and meet other families."

Linking homes to greenways is one of the county's goals, along with connecting schools and parks.

"Studies show that property values increase significantly when they have access to greenways," said Matteson.

County leaders plan to release an update this summer after assessing survey results. The master plan will also help determine how to fund new greenways.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/on-tour-middle-tn/williamson-co-greenways-survey-extension/