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Commission approves rezoning for Highway 31 property after residents raise flooding and erosion concerns
Summary
On Jan. 27, 2025, the Robertson County Commission approved Resolution 012725004 to rezone 2.51 acres on Highway 31 West from RP-80 to C-1 for a proposed storage facility despite sustained public opposition focused on drainage and erosion problems.
Robertson County commissioners on Jan. 27, 2025, approved Resolution 012725004 to rezone about 2.51 acres on Highway 31 West from RP-80 (rural preservation) to C-1 (commercial). The property owner, Eddie Smith, sought the change to build storage units and said the proposal would bring jobs and local scholarships.
The rezoning drew extended public comment from residents of Hidden Meadow Drive and nearby subdivisions, who told commissioners that water and erosion from an upstream watershed already damage yards and roadways and that additional paving would worsen the problem. The planning commission recommended approval by a 5–2 vote; commissioners voted to approve the rezoning at the Jan. 27 meeting.
Why it matters: Residents said increased runoff from the site would intensify erosion in an existing channel that feeds Honey Run Creek and ultimately the Red River. Supporters, including a local realtor and business owners, said the site sits amid commercial properties along 31 W and that a professionally designed detention plan can meet county and state standards.
Residents who spoke said the creek behind their homes frequently carries sediment and debris. Michael Duncan, a resident who spoke during public comment, said the site inspection by an independent engineer “states the proposed detention pond and other stormwater system components must be designed to not increase the existing flows downstream.” Several neighbors described repeated annual erosion that they said has worsened after nearby commercial development.
Supporters argued the parcel is small relative to the upstream watershed and that engineering controls will be required during site-plan review. Steven Ellis, a realtor with Compass Realty, said of the applicant: “He builds a high-end product, very clean, very well maintained.” Josh Lyon of Clover Engineering, who represented the applicant on technical matters, told commissioners the watershed area feeding the creek is roughly 57 acres and that Smith’s parcel represents “just under 5% of this watershed,” and that the site would be designed to meet county and state detention standards.
Eddie Smith, the property owner, said he had discussed stormwater with nearby property owners and that much of the runoff originates on 52 acres on the opposite side of the highway and travels underneath State Route 31. “The water does not ever touch our property,” Smith said, adding he had proposed measures and offers to neighboring landowners in prior discussions.
Commissioners noted the distinction between a rezoning decision and the later site-plan review process: if rezoned, the property’s site plan must return to county staff and planning commission for engineering review and approval before construction. County staff reiterated that detention and stormwater control are addressed at the site-plan stage and must satisfy county engineering standards before building permits are issued.
The commission’s approval ends the rezoning stage; any subsequent construction will require a site plan and technical review by county staff and the county engineer.
