MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis Urban Wood is going back to the drawing board after cancelling plans to develop an urban lumber sawmill operation due to staunch opposition from some members of the community and Memphis City Council.

According to WREG TV, Memphis Urban Wood proposed converting “a blighted property in North Memphis into a facility that would upcycle lumber into other useful products.” The operation would have created approximately 10 jobs to recycle trees removed due to age, storm of other causes.

Memphis Urban Wood is an affiliate of The Works Inc. (TWI), a not-for-profit community development project focused on developing housing in distressed neighborhoods.

Taking a not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) stance, a group of neighbors and some city council members voiced concern about potential air quality and health issues the facility could cause.

Memphis Urban Wood tried to alleviate citizen concerns to no avail. The company told WREG that extensive research by its scientists concluded that the project would not only create jobs, but it would also help reduce the carbon footprint and provide revenues to fund tree planting in the area.

After cancelling the proposed project without a council vote, Roshun Austin, president and CEO of TWI, issued a statement that she remained hopeful that her group could "find a solution that makes sense for the whole community."

According to its website, Memphis Urban Wood is “building a zero-waste urban tree system that generates jobs and community-wealth in distressed Memphis communities as well as a tree planting program.  We take the trees headed to landfills and turn them into compost, lumber, and biochar.”