2 COMMUNITY P. average number of days with any measurable precipitation is 112. On average, there are 205 sunny days per year

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1 2 COMMUNITY P PROFILE Chapter 2 provides a profile of the City of Forest Hills planning area and identifies capabilities already in place in the city to help mitigate hazards addressed in this plan. 2.1 Forest Hills Planning Area Profile Geography and Topography The City of Forest Hills is located in middle Tennessee south of Nashville in Davidson County, and encompasses 9.47 square miles. Neighboring incorporated cities include: Oak Hill, Berry Hill, and Belle Meade. The landscape, as described by the name, is predominantly steep, heavily vegetated terrain with predominantly low to medium density residential land use. Otter Creek flows through the south- central section of the City boundaries. A detailed hydraulic study of Otter Creek has defined the regulatory floodplain and floodway within the City. Richland Creek, located in the northwest corner of the City boundaries, does not have a defined regulatory floodplain nor floodway. Both Otter Creek and Richland Creek are a part of the greater Cumberland River Watershed. Figure 2.1 shows a map of the City of Forest Hills planning area, including major waterways and elevation variation Climate The City of Forest Hills receives an average of 518 inches of rain per year, significantly more than the U.S. average of 36.5 inches. Average annual snowfall is 4.9 inches. The average number of days with any measurable precipitation is 112. On average, there are 205 sunny days per year in Forest Hills. The July average high is 90 F, and the January average low is 28 F. Table 2.1 shows the county s annual climate averages in comparison to the national averages. Table 2.1 Forest Hills Annuall Climate Averages Climate Forest Hills United States Rainfall (in.) Snowfall (in.) Precipitation Days Sunny Days Avg. July High Avg. Jan. Low Comfort Index (higher=better) UV Index Elevation ft ,060 Sources: ennessee/forest_hills# The City of Forest Hills, Tennessee 2.1

2 Figure 2.1 Forest Hills County Planning Area The City of Forest Hills, Tennessee 2.2

3 2.1.3 Population/Demographics According to the U.S. Census, the population of Forest Hills in 2009 was estimated to be 6,144. Population density was people per square mile. The City s population increased by 30.4 percent between 2000 and Table 2.2 Forest Hills Population Jurisdiction Forest Hills 4,231 4,710 6,144 Source: U.S. Census Bureau Select Census 2000 demographic and social characteristics for Forest Hills are shown in Table 2.3. Table 2.3 Forest Hills Demographic and Social Characteristics History Characteristic Gender/Age Male (%) 52.3 Female (%) 47.7 Under 5 Years (%) Years and Over (%) 14.7 Race/Ethnicity (one race) White (%) 96.6 Hispanic/Latino (Any Race) (%) 0.9 Other Average Household Size 2.87 High School Grad or Higher (%) 97.5 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, , and 2000 Nashville was settled by Anglo-Europeans in As Nashville assumed prominence on the western frontier, a road known as the Natchez Trace was created to provide an overland route for settlers returning from New Orleans. Many settlers in the Ohio and Cumberland River valleys floated on rafts down the Mississippi River to New Orleans to sell their goods. Prior to the invention of the steamboat, western settlers had no choice but to walk home through the wilderness to reach home. In order to provide an improved road, the Natchez Trace was constructed from Nashville to Natchez, Mississippi. Construction on the road began in Recently it has been discovered that one of the main routes of the Trace extended through what is now Forest Hills. With the decline of travel on the Natchez Trace, this roadbed became known as Compton Road, named for the prominent Compton family of the vicinity. The City of Forest Hills, Tennessee 2.3

4 In the early 19th century relatively few large farms existed within what is now Forest Hills. This was primarily because of the area s topography of steep forested hills, which proved difficult to till. In the northwest corner of the city limits are rich bottomlands along the tributaries of Richland Creek. The area was developed as a suburb of Nashville in the wake of the post-world War II population and economic boom. Forest Hills was born as a result of the ensuing conflicts between suburban residents and Nashville city government as Nashville struggled to deal with the ramifications of suburban growth. Since 1970, hundreds of dwellings have been built in Forest Hills, and the community no longer retains many tracts of open space or farmland. Most dwellings are sited on parcels of one to two acres, and only a small number of houses are located on tracts of ten acres or more. Several of the community s hills and ridges such as the properties along Laurel Ridge Drive and Fredericksburg Drive have also been developed in recent decades. The growth and development of Forest Hills has resulted in the loss of most of the community s eighteenth and nineteenth century dwellings. Only a handful of properties dating from this early period remain extant Economy/Industry According to the 2007 Economic Census, the industries that employed the highest percentages of Forest Hill s labor force were management, professional, and related occupations (68.3%); sales and office occupations (23.5%); service occupations (5.7%); construction (1.4%); and production, transportation, and material moving occupations (1.1%). Select economic characteristics for the City of Forest Hills from the 2000 Census are shown in Table 2.4. Table 2.4 Forest Hills Economic Characteristics, 2000 Characteristic Families below Poverty Level Individuals below Poverty Level Median Home Value ($) 2.3% 2.9% 606,600 Median Household Income ($)* Per Capita Income ($) Population in Labor Force 158, ,397 Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2000), The City of Forest Hills, Tennessee 2.4

5 According to the 2007 Economic Census, 2,397 people in the City of Forest Hills labor force with an unemployment rate of 4.8 percent. This figure is less than the state unemployment rate of 10.2 percent. Table 2.5 contains information about City of Forest Hills business establishments and payroll values by occupational sector in Table 2.5 Forest Hills Establishments and Payroll Values by Sector, Occupational Sector No. of Establishments Percent of Total (%) Total Annual Payroll ($) Retail trade D Information D Real estate and rental and leasing D Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services ,000 Administrative and Support and Waste Mang D and Remediation Srvs Health Care and Social Assistance D Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation D Accommodation and food services D Other Services D Total ,000 Source: US Census Bureau D: Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual companies; data are included in higher level totals Agriculture Although, even historically, Forest Hills was not very heavy in agriculture due to the steep forested nature of the area, a few large farms existing in the 19 th century in the northwest corner of the city limits in the rich bottomlands along the tributaries of Richland Creek. Fertile farming lands were also located along Otter Creek. Farming primarily ended in the 1070s when the majority of farmland was purchased and split into smaller residential lots. Very little agriculture is currently conducted in Forest Hills. 2.2 Capabilities Summary Table 2.6 summarizes the existing regulatory tools and planning mechanisms for the City of Forest Hills. These plans, codes, and ordinances form a framework that supports this hazard mitigation plan. It is expected that future updates of these planning mechanisms will acknowledge, integrate, and implement this hazard mitigation plan, as necessary and appropriate. The City of Forest Hills, Tennessee 2.5

6 Table 2.6 City of Forest Hills Summary of Mitigation-Related Plans and Policies Capability City of Forest Hills Comprehensive Plan 1991, update in progress Emergency Operations Plan, under jurisdiction of OEM Economic Development Plan No commercial parcels Capital Improvements Plan Construction of City Hall Building Code International Building Code Building Code Year 2003 Fire Department ISO Rating Stormwater Management Ordinance Subdivision Regulations, 2001 Stream Management Ordinance No Zoning Management Ordinance 1991, update in progress Subdivision Ordinance Subdivision Regulations, 2001 Erosion Management Ordinance No Floodplain Map Yes, 04/20/2001 Floodplain Management Ordinance Yes Elevation Certificates Maintained Yes National Flood Insurance Program Community Yes National Flood Insurance Join Date 09/19/07 NFIP Community Number NFIP Community Rating System Number No NFIP CRS Effective Date Local Electric Utilities Local Water Utilities Local Sewage Treatment Utilities Local Natural Gas Utilities Local Telephone Utilities Community Has a Fire Insurance Rating Fire Insurance Rating The City of Forest Hills, Tennessee 2.6