State needed Ronnie Milsap’s farm for S.R. 840
“When the state built the final 14-mile stretch of State Route 840 through Williamson County, it took a great deal of land through eminent domain including that of country star Ronnie Milsap.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation completed the last leg of S.R. 840 in November 2012, but it only recently acquired 18 rural acres and several easements from Ronnie and Frances Milsap needed to build the four-lane highway through the Burwood community.
The State of Tennessee began its lengthy eminent domain process in September 2008 to acquire the Milsaps’ land through the legal condemnation process, which requires the state to pay fair market value for the property. On Nov. 5, 2008, the Williamson County Circuit Court granted the state possession of the Milsaps’ land needed to construct the highway, according to court records.
However, the Milsaps requested that settlement negotiations be delayed until after S.R. 840’s completion, said TDOT spokeswoman Deanna Lambert. In a recent mediation conference with the state, the Milsaps agreed to a settlement that was later approved by the court.
The Milsaps, who live in Nashville, could not be reached for comment.
The state paid $280,000 for the 18 acres, which was part of the Milsaps’ 117-acre farm on Johnson Hollow Road near Thompson’s Station.”
Page, Jamie. The Tennessean 10 January 2014.