Council approves rezoning at Old Russellville Pike after tense debate over drainage

The Clarksville City Council voted 7–6 on March 5 to approve the first reading of an ordinance rezoning 1911 Old Russellville Pike from R‑1 single‑family to R‑2A, a change supporters say will enable remediation of a long‑standing drainage problem and opponents say will add housing and traffic to a flood‑prone neighborhood.

Supporters, led by attorney Larry Ricconi, argued the change is modest — roughly 14 additional lots, from about 35 to roughly 49 — and that the developer funded a hydrology study and intends to construct detention and pipe improvements at the developer’s expense. "This actually identified a problem that addresses all these homeowners," Ricconi said, adding the reported cost to fix drainage on the site is about $209,000 "at no cost to the taxpayers."

Neighbors disputed that account. "My house has been flooding since 2001," resident Mark Remini told the council, citing photos and saying the flooding has blocked Old Russellville Pike for days at a time. Jim Noll, another longtime resident, urged the council to be cautious, noting other nearby subdivisions had failed drainage solutions despite engineering signoffs.

Council members pressed both sides on technical points. Councilman Streetman and others asked whether the hydrology work was voluntary; Ricconi and the applicant said the developer commissioned the study to address concerns and that the plan would retain stormwater on site and not push additional flow onto Old Russellville Pike. The applicant and his representatives pointed to a clogged pipe under the railroad that they said contributed to surface flooding and offered to work with the city to locate and clear that obstruction.

Several council members said they found the developer’s walk‑through and the additional engineering work persuasive but expressed unease at shifting risk to neighbors. "I was torn on this one," Councilman Streetman said during debate, noting he might revisit his position at second reading if subsequent technical review raised new concerns.

The measure passed on first reading by roll call (yes 7, no 6). The vote sets the item for a required second reading; some council members signaled they could change their vote if later evidence showed the drainage plan would not perform as promised.

What happens next: The developer must proceed through site‑plan review and stormwater permitting with city departments; the council’s first‑reading approval does not itself authorize grading or building. Several council members requested the city’s stormwater staff and street engineers to review the applicant’s plans before second reading.

Authorities and official actions: The clerk read Ordinance 47 (first reading) into the record and the council recorded the roll‑call tally during regular session. The public hearing portion of the meeting included multiple in‑person speakers for and against the rezoning.

Community impact and clarifying details: Council records and testimony show the developer estimates increasing lot count by about 14 (from ~35 to 49). The hydrology work identified an allegedly clogged 24‑inch pipe beneath a railroad right‑of‑way; speakers said clearing and repairing that pipe is outside the parcel in question and would involve city maintenance if the pipe is city infrastructure. Residents described traffic constraints on Old Russellville Pike, lack of shoulders and school capacity pressures at Rossview schools.