WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — It’s the price of growth — a four-generation family farm in Mt. Juliet may lose a significant portion of its property to a road.

City officials say Pleasant Grove Road needs realignment, and unfortunately, someone is going to be impacted.  

“For over 50 years, this has been the family farm, with four generations have been up here, my grandchildren have been raised up here,” David Minton said.

David and Terri Minton envisioned their future would resemble their past on the Tillman farm. However, the city has a different plan.

“Instead of staying on the road, they have decided to once again, cut through farmland, for what reason? I’m not sure,” David said. 

David showed News 2 they could lose six to eight acres.

“This is going to alleviate a lot of traffic in Mt. Juliet, I know it’s going to impact some properties. Our elected body, along with our public works department, they want to make sure the least amount of people are impacted but also the most amount of people are impacted by the improvement as well,” said Justin Beasley, Mt. Juliet’s public information officer. 

The City of Mt. Juliet said the road needs repair. The city would like the project to align with construction on the Central Pike Interchange.

“The Pleasant Grove Road widening, I am not going to disagree that this needs to happen, but it does not need to happen this way,” David said.  

However, this project is not the first to put farmers’ land at risk. In January, commissioners shot down a project which would have gone through the Ligon family’s farm.

“When plans come along, it seems like the path of least resistance is farmland because there is not a house there they have to deal with. And I think what people forget about is that there is a family that is associated with that farm,” Terri said.  

For Terri, she said the farm holds a special place in her heart. Her parents bought the land back in the 1960s.   

“Our plan has always been to just live out our days here on the farm and we really hope to get to do that,” Terri said.  

Public Works and Engineering Director Andy Barlow told News 2 the concept design aims to go around the perimeter of the farm as much as possible so they don’t need to close down the road for reconstruction.   

The board of commissioners is expected to vote on the conceptional design Monday night.   

The Mintons told News 2 they plan on being there to share their story and express opposition.