Stormwater commission denies fill variance for proposed soccer field at 401 Center Street

The Metro Stormwater Management Commission on May 1 denied a variance request that would have allowed 295 cubic yards of uncompensated fill in the floodplain at 401 Center Street, a parcel the applicant said would be leveled for a soccer field behind a private school in Old Hickory.

The commission said the application was incomplete, lacked an alternative site plan and a mitigation plan, and did not demonstrate a hardship that would justify fill in the floodplain, despite stormwater staff recommending support with conditions including a no-rise certification and required plan review before any future land disturbance.

Jeremiah Watson, who identified himself as an assistant to Scott Sherrod (the applicant's representative), told the commission the project would level roughly 1.5 to 2 feet of grade change to create a small soccer field and include measures "to make sure there's no erosion" and a level spreader at the outfall. Watson said the top of the proposed field sits below the floodplain and that engineering backing shows the fill "will not exacerbate that problem." He also said a sewer with manholes runs through the area and that the field elevation was set to match the top of the manholes.

Several nearby residents testified in opposition. Frances Pratt, owner of 220 Capitol Street, said a creek on her property "backs up" during major rainfall and that past flooding has entered her house's basement. Mabel Cockrell, who gave addresses at 4025 Main Street and 217 Capitol Street, said she opposed the variance because the neighborhood already experiences backing up and property values could be harmed. Ally Henderson Fitts of 821 Cleveland Hall Court described recurring high water at a fence line near her home and said the existing condition had not changed since she moved in 2013.

Stormwater staff summarized the request for a variance to allow 295 cubic yards of uncompensated fill within the floodplain for parcel APN 06308011400 (case 2025-00000640). Staff told the commission that, "due to site logistics and overall relationship to flood plain area in this vicinity," it would support the variance if the commission approved a no-rise condition enforced by staff and required plan review and approval before any future land disturbance or development work.

Commission members pressing on the application said it lacked required elements. One commissioner observed, "You got no alternative site plan, which is a requirement. You got no mitigation plan, which is a requirement," and recommended lowering the field elevation as an alternative. Another commissioner reiterated that the application was "not properly filled out" and that half the checklist boxes were empty.

A motion to deny the variance was made and seconded; the commission voted to deny the request. The motion record in the meeting transcript does not list individual vote counts; meeting minutes should be consulted for a formal tally. The commission noted earlier site enforcement activity on the property related to rerouting of a wet-weather conveyance and construction of agricultural structures, and commissioners asked staff whether some of the proposed fill might be addressing enforcement-related grading rather than only the proposed soccer field.

The commission's decision was announced at the meeting. The applicant was reminded of the statutory appeal procedure: an appeal of the commission's decision may be filed by writ of certiorari in Davidson County Chancery or Circuit Court within 60 days of the commission's decision.

The commission handled the case as the sole substantive item on a short May 1 agenda and approved routine decision letters and amended minutes in the same meeting before taking up the 401 Center Street case.