Mount Pleasant, Tennessee: A Small Town with a Big Future

Mount Pleasant has always been a little sister to Maury County's biggest cities, Spring Hill and Columbia. The charming town of just over 5,000 residents has simply never experienced the spurts of growth of other parts of the county. 

But that is now about to change. 

"It's an interesting story, because Mount Pleasant has not grown in probably 20 years," said Kate Collier, Mount Pleasant's city manager. "We've had one subdivision. And that's literally it. But let's go back to the last few years, that same subdivision is finishing out with 50 homes, and we have 600 homes that have gone through the planning commission. We have a new industry that I think is going to be announced in the next few months. So, we're about to pop, basically."

Most of that growth is being driven by new residents coming from other states, like California, Illinois, and others, who are in search of better taxes and housing prices. 

"They probably start looking in Nashville and can't afford it and move this way south," said Collier. "I think we still have a rural appeal. You can be in Columbia and then in three minutes be looking at cows and pastures. And I think that's a big deal."

To prepare for that current and future growth, leaders in Mount Pleasant are ensuring they have the basics in order, such as strong utilities. 

"It's about looking to the future, knowing that the growth is coming, and then figuring out where you want it to be, and then figuring out how you're going to serve the community."

—Kate Collier, City Manager, Mount Pleasant

"You have this growth, they all need water, they all need sewer, some may need gas, and we're very aware that we're going to be doing infrastructure work," she said. "And we're spending a lot of our time and money on that." 

For example, Collier and her team recently had a meeting with the Maury County Alliance and all of the water providers to discuss infrastructure, identify additional water resources and create a regional water management plan. 

In addition, Mount Pleasant is finishing up a significant upgrade of their sewer systems so by 2024 the town will have all the sewer resources it needs for probably the next 20 years. 

"A lot of our energy has been on that which is not sexy and fun, but it's essential," adds Collier. 

But there are more fun elements to the city's work that will impact the quality of life in the area. For example, Mount Pleasant will soon kick off work on a project to revitalize the town's historic downtown square. The town is working with the same engineers that did the square in Franklin, Tenn., 25 years ago. The project will include a new fountain, streetlights, and other improvements.

"We're really excited about the downtown revitalization project," said Collier. "The square is a big part of who we are — not all small towns have that element. This project is important because it's going to make our downtown even more attractive to residents and visitors alike."

As part of that effort to maintain the character of the town, they are looking at zoning ordinances to ensure some control of what kind of businesses can be found downtown and ensure signage doesn’t become an eyesore. The goal is to keep what everyone loves about the area, while ensuring they are ready for the future. 

"It's going to be really cool to have this small town that begins to grow but doesn't lose its environment and atmosphere that people love here," said Collier. "It's about looking to the future, knowing that the growth is coming, and then figuring out where you want it to be, and then figuring out how you're going to serve the community."