Following immense pressure from local residents and The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County, Milcrofton Utility District withdrew its petition on December 31, 2021 condemning 1.73 acres of Andrew and Marianne Menefee Byrd’s historic Holly Tree Gap Road property in Williamson County.
Milcrofton originally hoped to build two 40-foot-high water storage tanks on the property’s hill, each housing two million gallons of water. However, the couple refused to sell. The Byrds received a large amount of community support for the preservation of their land, hired legal counsel, and consulted with engineering firms to provide counsel and prevent condemnation.
A petition to halt the eminent domain lawsuit and a public showing of support from the Heritage Foundation garnered over 2500 signatures standing in opposition to the development, directly contributing to the pivot by Milcrofton.
According to Williamson Herald’s article, “This withdrawal would not have occurred without the outpouring of support from our wonderful neighbors, the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County and the broader community,” the Byrds wrote in their update Friday. “We are truly grateful to the thousands of people who supported our efforts and look forward to putting this issue behind us.”