Nolensville is growing, and the town needs tax income to be able to afford more infrastructure to support the growth and provide current residents with amenities that increase quality of life. Two executive developments have been proposed for the area near The Farm at Clovercroft that would provide the city with the kinds of income it needs, but local residents are not happy. Even the mayor, who is all for new development, has some questions about the proposals.
The proposal currently under the microscope is Four Springs. In April, the proposal for this $4.5 million development was sent back to the developer when the Nolensville Planning Commission voted not to rezone the 277 acres under review from estate residential to planned development. The initial plans called for custom homes, townhouses and a village with restaurants, retail, daycare and community facilities to be built off Clovercroft Road.
In early May, WKRN.com asked Nolensville Mayor and Board of Commissioner member Derek Adams about the project, “This site lends itself extremely well to activating a beautiful hilltop with a hidden community for all lifestyles. The master-planned farmhouse design is going to be top quality and would be a great addition to Nolensville…This development would be the first step in a long-term fiscal solvency of the town.”
What makes this development different from other proposals is the addition of 200 glamping sites, including treehouses, and trails going up to the top of Clovercroft. No hotels currently exist in the town, so the city receives no hotel or motel tax. The family destination resort facilities would provide the city with a much-needed tax base and take advantage of the current glamping rage.
The village would create a new shopping area that would pull traffic off of Nolensville Road, which is already frequently jammed. The Darcy Development, where the new Kroger is located, will be providing new housing, office space, restaurants, and retail, but will feed hundreds more cars onto that road when completed.
Mosley Farms, which is planned for land adjacent to the Four Seasons land, is a proposed exclusive estate community. The residential development would stretch over 400 acres and provide 138 single family homes, 83 estate homes, 80 condos, and 45 row houses near a pedestrian-centric market square filled with hyper-local retail stores. It too is under scrutiny.
Local residents and other stake-holders are worried about the change in their laid-back lifestyle where their children can play outside without worrying about new traffic feeding through the current neighborhood, as well as the effect of so many houses on the environment, and flooding. Also, a developer financed study showed that an additional 2,802 new daily trips are expected from just one of the new developments.
The Four Springs plans were sent back to the developer in April, and there has been no further discussion about the project, although some movement was expected at the June 15 meeting of the Planning Commission. When WSMV asked for a response from the developer about the requested changes, they received a reply to inquiries which said, “It has been designed and redesigned to accommodate most concerns. There will always be people who oppose progress.”
Both the Board of Commissioners and the Planning Commission are trying to take the projects slowly. Most development plans take about four to six months from initial presentation to approval, however the Darsey project took 14 months. Perhaps learning from other cities in Williamson County dealing with new development, both the Planning Commission and Board of Commissioners appear to be trying to make sure that what is built in Nolensville serves both the city’s needs and the needs and desires of local residents.
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