Gallatin Council defers Foxland Harbor marina plan after months of public opposition and traffic concerns

The Gallatin City Council postponed consideration of Ordinance 02507-40, an amended preliminary master development plan for the Foxland Harbor Marina, after hours of public comment and repeated requests for additional technical review.

The ordinance, introduced by City Planner Brian Rose, would allow a mixed-use project on about 7.38 acres south of Nashville Pike and east of Douglas Bend Road that includes a new marina, up to 112 condominium units and roughly 13,870–18,870 square feet of commercial and restaurant space. Council deferred action until the Aug. 12 work session to give staff and consultants time to complete additional review of traffic, parking and stormwater issues.

Why it matters: Neighbors said the proposal has evolved rapidly in recent months and now differs sharply from the original master-plan vision for the neighborhood. Speakers said the current design—at up to 253 slips in some public discussion and multi-story residential buildings—would change local traffic patterns, strain the public boat launch, and alter neighborhood character. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has already granted a lease for marina construction; the city's review focuses on land-side development, zoning exceptions and site infrastructure.

Opponents at the podium questioned the traffic study timing, building height and parking. Tom Lee, partner at Nelson Mullins speaking for Friends of Old Hickory Lake, told the council that the planning commission record was complicated: “What actually happened the first time this proposal was advanced … the vote was 2 to 2 to 2,” and he said the public only first saw some materials in mid-May despite months of internal discussion. Multiple residents asked that the council require an independent traffic analysis that specifically evaluates queueing at the public boat ramp and a potential bottleneck on Douglas Bend Road.

City staff confirmed a traffic impact study was submitted shortly before the June planning commission meeting; the city’s consulting traffic engineer has begun a review and identified two priority areas for deeper analysis: vehicle interactions at the existing public boat launch and operations at the intersection of Foxham Boulevard and Douglas Bend Road. City Engineering told the council the study indicates an all-way stop at that intersection would worsen AM peak delays for northbound Douglas Bend traffic; a roundabout was shown in the study to improve level-of-service in modeling, though engineering cautioned more detailed field and utility analysis would be required to determine feasibility.

Project details and unresolved items noted in city materials and in public comments: - Proposed land uses: four condominium buildings, two mixed-use buildings, marina facilities and up to a 5,000-square-foot restaurant; total residential across adjacent phases cited by staff ranges up to roughly 170 units when combined with nearby Reverie Point phases. - Parking: city code indicates a minimum of 435 spaces for the proposed plan; the applicant proposed 419 vehicle spaces plus 40 bicycle stalls and 45 golf-cart spaces and would include 33 spaces at the public boat ramp. - Building heights: the zoning standard is 35 feet in the MRO district; the applicant has requested up to 87 feet (the planning commission recommended 60 feet for condos and 75 feet for mixed-use in its motion). - Marina authority: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages permits/leases for work on federal waters; the Corps issued a lease for the marina area and told the project team that it found water depths adequate and that no dredging would be required for the proposed lease area.

Developer Matt Huff of Campbell Design Collaborative presented the project as a mixed‑use, walkable waterfront with condominium-for-sale units, retail and a marina designed for public and neighborhood use. Applicant representatives said they would record covenants restricting short-term rentals and that many design details (including boat-trailer accommodations and dock tie-ups for transient users) would be finalized at the engineering/site-plan stage.

Council action and next steps: Councilman Givens moved to postpone further consideration to the Aug. 12 work session so the city could complete review of the traffic study and related submittals; the motion was seconded and the council voted in roll call to defer (Vice Mayor Hayes — yes; Councilman Alexander — yes; Councilman Carter — yes; Councilman Fan — yes; Councilman Fennell — yes; Councilman Jones — yes; Councilman Juvan — yes). Staff said their consulting traffic engineer (Neal Shaffer Inc.) is working with the city to complete comments, which then must be returned to the applicant’s traffic consultant (Reagan Smith Associates) for response.

What the record shows: Documents and concerns that were repeatedly cited in public comment include earlier planning-commission votes and emails produced in a public-records request; speakers asked the council to require full, independent traffic and environmental/public-health studies, to limit building heights to the scale of existing Reverie Point development (about 68 feet where built), and to prohibit short-term rentals and trailer storage as conditions of approval.

Council members asked for additional elevation renderings showing the project’s view from the main approaches, clarified that lighting must comply with the zoning ordinance (neon signage is not allowed), and requested clearer stormwater memoranda before formal action. The matter remains pending; staff will return findings and recommended conditions at the Aug. 12 work session.