R+L carriers seeks multiple floodplain variances for Franklin Limestone site; commission asks for bigger mitigation and no-rise analysis

R+L Carriers representatives presented a preliminary plan to the Metro Nashville Stormwater Management Commission seeking multiple floodplain and floodway variances at 3240 Franklin Limestone Road, including requests for floodway and buffer encroachments, 12,562 cubic yards of uncompensated fill, continued mowing of buffer areas and modified buffer-sign locations.

The project team said the site, developed in the 1980s and located along Mill Creek, would be reconfigured to remove one structure from the floodway, add truck bays, relocate a maintenance building and truck wash out of the floodway, and add employee parking to handle shift-change overlap. Mary McGowan, a Kimley Horn representative, told the commission the proposal would “reduce the impervious area by 1.04 acres” and include additional canopy, understory and shrub planting intended to mitigate impacts.

Commissioners and staff said the site is complex and that the proposal needs stronger mitigation and clearer technical analysis. Commission members asked for a formal HEC‑RAS no‑rise analysis for the project if the commission is asked to grant variances within…