Lawmakers jump into fray over governor's mansion renovations

By BONNA JOHNSON Staff Writer - THE TENNESSEAN

The legislative session is still new, but members of the General Assembly are already weighing in on one of the hottest issues in Middle Tennessee politics: an underground expansion at the governor's residence.

One Democrat has written a letter to fellow Democrat Gov. Phil Bredesen asking him to reconsider construction of the subterranean entertainment hall.

And Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, the Republican speaker of the Senate, expressed skepticism about the hall's costs and necessity.

This morning, the Tennessee Building Commission, which approved the renovation and expansion in the first place, could vote to continue with the $19 million project, despite protests from some neighbors and taxpayers.

"The renovations were to be made with all private funds, which is what I was led to believe," Ramsey said Wednesday. As speaker of the Senate, he is a member of the Building Commission.

As the sole Republican among the six voting members, Ramsey doubted he could get any support if he ends up wanting to halt the project.

Control of the mansion project is in the hands of the Building Commission, of which Bredesen is chairman.

Funding costs grow

Upgrades to the fading Georgian Revival home on Curtiswood Lane were originally conceived by first lady Andrea Conte as a renovation that would be funded mainly with private money, along with some $1.5 million in taxpayer funds.

Now four years later, the project features a 15,000-square-foot underground banquet hall. Taxpayers will be pitching in some $11 million to $12 million in public funds.

In a letter dated Jan. 7, state Reps. Frank Buck, a Democrat from Dowelltown, and Beth Harwell, a Republican from Nashville, asked Bredesen to stop the project.

"With the financial constraints facing the state and plans to cut departmental budgets, it is fiscally irresponsible to continue with this construction," they wrote.

Buck doesn't mind crossing party lines.

"It's a terrible use of state money," Buck said Wednesday. He suggests the state sell the mansion and build a new one at the Ellington Agricultural Center on Edmondson Pike. There wouldn't be neighborhood issues on the 207-acre compound, and, "You can build new cheaper than you can renovate," Buck said.

He is angry because public funds never got legislative approval. "It's shameful that we've turned the purse strings loose to the Building Commission to spend this kind of money," Buck said. He'd like to see the General Assembly pass a quick budget amendment to prohibit the money from being spent until more study is done.

Harwell represented Oak Hill for 10 years until her district was redrawn. Nonetheless, she got plenty of calls from residents upset about blasting and traffic issues.

"Everyone commends the first lady for restoring the home. The renovations were needed," Harwell said. "But like all government projects, it kept growing and growing."

House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, D-Covington, has described the dust-up as politics at play.

But by having Buck sign on, Harwell hopes to illustrate the controversy is not partisan. By the same token, Republican Sen. Tim Burchett has supported expansion plans.

Residences compared

The dining hall itself would be some 2,800 square feet and could accommodate sit-down dinners for the legislature, as well as stand-up receptions for larger crowds.

In ramping up its opposition to the project, a grass-roots group this week put out a slick brochure that compares the residences of governors in other states to Tennessee's proposed expansion.

The analysis by Tennesseans for Accountability in Government shows that six states have no governor's residence at all, and of those that do, 29 don't have ballrooms.

"It's obvious that 35 governors manage to function just fine without any kind of entertainment facility. It's one more point as to why this is an unnecessary project," said Susan Kaestner, vice president of TAG. "We're seeing some bipartisan support to stop this thing, and that doesn't happen until you've got the beginnings of a groundswell."

The group is funded with a $30,000 loan from Nashville auto magnate Lee Beaman, who lives a block away.

To be sure, there have been plenty of community voices in support of the expansion project at the governor's mansion, including representatives of the Tennessee Historical Commission.

Conte and the private Executive Residence Preservation Foundation want to banish the white tents traditionally used for large events at the mansion, and state architects suggested a conservatory. In 2006, an innovative, sky-lit underground meeting hall was proposed by a Memphis design firm.

Last month, the Oak Hill Planning Commission voted to deny the mansion expansion, citing concerns about using residential property to entertain large crowds.

Parking issue raised

Oak Hill City Manager Bill Kraus said all city officials should be concerned about the state putting buildings in their towns that may be contrary to local zoning ordinances.

Plus, there's no nearby parking and if an emergency were to occur inside the facility, which is expected to hold as many as 1,217 people, emergency vehicles would have difficulty maneuvering on narrow Curtiswood Lane, he said.

The state Building Commission is scheduled to vote today whether to accept or deny Oak Hill's opposition.