Nichols Circle residents urge council to block walking-trail connection tied to Kirkpatrick Gallatin rezoning

At the Gallatin City Council meeting on June 17, 2025, several long-time Nichols Circle residents told council members they oppose a proposed walking-trail connection that would link the new Kirkpatrick Gallatin development to their neighborhood and urged the council to slow the pace of housing construction.

The comments came during the public-recognition portion of the meeting, when residents identified themselves and described local impacts. Martha Zanger, of 151 East Morris Drive, said, “I just wanna say I don't think we need more homes at this time,” and later urged the council, “please stop.” Catherine Dake, of 1043 Nichols Circle, said she submitted a petition with 81 names and told the council, “There is not a single house on Nichols Circle or Brewer Drive that wants a walk through put through on Kirkpatrick's property into the circle.”

The petition and repeated remarks focused on several themes: residents said development is proceeding too quickly; they reported increased water pooling and drainage concerns near properties they say are downstream of recent construction; they said heavy construction traffic and trucks are damaging local roads and producing noise; and some residents raised safety and privacy concerns tied to new foot traffic into the neighborhood.

“Nichols Circle is an oasis in the chaos that's going on around us,” said Larry Pedigo, who said he has lived at 1034 Nichols Circle East for decades. Pedigo added walking the area had been a reason he bought in the neighborhood and that a new trail connection would bring an “invasion of foot traffic.” Sue Pedigo, who also lives at 1034 Nichols Circle, said, “We don't see any need to be connected to what's being built behind us.”

Resident Paul Showers described construction hauling and heavy-truck noise near his home and said he is concerned about large amounts of fill dirt placed near power lines and recent home foundations. He said such fill could affect long-term stability; that assertion was presented as his observation and was not verified at the meeting.

Councilman Alexander read Ordinance 02505-30 into the record during a later public hearing on the Kirkpatrick Gallatin rezoning — described in the ordinance text as rezoning portions of a roughly 154.83-acre property (including 4.08 acres from R-40 to R-8 PRD) south of Nichols Lane and west of Woods Ferry Road. Council members closed the public hearing without additional public testimony on that agenda item. Meeting remarks made earlier in the session noted the council would not vote on the rezoning that night; council members indicated a future council meeting in July would be the next opportunity for a vote.

Residents requested that council members consider the petition and the concerns raised before any vote. Several speakers said they were not asking to stop development entirely but requested a temporary slowdown or reconsideration of the walking-trail connection point into Nichols Circle.

What happened next: the council did not vote on Ordinance 02505-30 at the June 17 meeting. Other agenda items were handled later in the session.

Why it matters: the walking-trail connection and the larger Kirkpatrick Gallatin rezoning would change access, traffic patterns and land use near Nichols Circle. Residents said they fear increased pedestrian traffic, noise and drainage impacts; the council’s eventual zoning decision would determine whether the development, and any trail connections, move forward as proposed.

Meeting context and next steps: public testimony on this topic occurred during the meeting’s public-recognition period prior to the formal public hearing, and the public hearing on the ordinance itself closed with no speakers. Council members indicated a future meeting in July will be the next time a vote could occur on the rezoning or related approvals.