Gladeville Road resident urges action on flooding, traffic and sewer odor; staff directs to planning and stormwater

Rodney Burban, a Gladeville Road resident, told the Wilson County Road Commission on Feb. 6 that a parcel across the street from his properties is going up for sale and that local traffic and recurring flooding make access and safety a concern. "I left at 08:00 from my house, and I just got here about 10 minutes ago," Burban said, describing heavy traffic on Gladeville Road and Central Pike. He said a low creek under Gladeville Road floods during heavy rains and that drivers have turned around in his driveway to avoid crossing it.

The problem matters locally because Burban said runoff from new development could increase flooding and because his neighbor's crawl space already receives floodwater. He also asked what the county uses to determine whether to install guardrails after describing an earlier crash in which a driver left the road, jumped the creek and landed in Burban's yard.

County staff told Burban to contact the planning office in the courthouse to learn whether the land sale would involve rezoning or a developer-led subdivision. The commission recommended he speak with "Christopher" in planning for rezoning details. For drainage and septic concerns, staff directed him to stormwater staff; the commission said stormwater personnel will investigate odors or discharges and involve the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) if necessary.

Burban also reported a strong sewer or grease smell near Griffin's Market. Staff suggested that a restaurant grease trap could be the source and said they would check it. James Vaden was named in the meeting as the former stormwater director; staff said Vaden handles water-quality matters and that TDEC oversees certain septic and wastewater enforcement actions.

The commission and staff described routine maintenance steps—ditch clearing, investigating fresh dirt observed in roadside ditches, and inspecting culverts—and said they would look into whether recent ditch work had redirected flow toward properties. The road superintendent (referred to in the meeting as Mr. Murphy) said he would investigate the road, flooding and guardrail questions for the resident.

Ending: Staff advised the resident to pursue two tracks: (1) contact the county planning office for information about the sale and any rezoning, and (2) report drainage or odor problems to stormwater so staff can inspect and, if necessary, notify TDEC for required repairs.