Neighbors press commission on drainage as Bryson Farms annexation and PRD move forward

The Murfreesboro Planning Commission approved annexation of roughly 17.48 acres and recommended approval of a companion PRD zoning for the Bryson Farms project on Halls Hill Pike after extended public hearings and detailed discussion about drainage and downstream flooding.

Staff (Miss Smith) and the applicant (Matt Taylor of SCC and Land Solutions LLC) described the proposal as a mixed product plan for about 78 units, split roughly 50/50 between single-family detached and attached units, with approximately 25% open space and engineered stormwater controls including an on-site detention pond and preserved sinkhole features. Staff said the site is adjacent to city limits, has sewer-allocation capacity under the city's ordinance (subject to main-line extensions by the applicant) and lies outside the FEMA-regulated floodplain, though hydrology and closed depressions were prominent in the technical review.

Multiple residents told the commission they have experienced repeated flooding, including a 10-inch rainfall event in May 2024 that flooded yards and garages, and they warned that removing roughly 7–8 acres of natural retention for development and replacing it with a smaller detention basin could increase runoff onto adjacent properties. Donald Blankenship, who said he owns multiple nearby parcels, said the neighborhood has "massive flooding in the backyard" and asked who would be responsible if conditions worsened. Trevor Wright and other neighbors shared photos from past floods and urged stronger guarantees than a developer promise.

Applicant Matt Taylor and project engineers said they have studied the site and plan to route upstream flows through an engineered detention and conveyance system to the existing box culvert under Halls Hill Pike; Taylor said the design goal is to avoid "damming" upstream flows and to mimic existing overtopping elevations while improving conveyance to the box culvert. He and staff noted that detailed construction plans and stormwater calculations are completed at the construction-plan stage and will be reviewed by the city's floodplain administrator.

City staff and the floodplain administrator (Miss Noll) described the enforcement and inspection process: construction will be monitored, as-built compliance is required, and post-construction maintenance agreements (typically an HOA obligation) plus periodic inspections and a five-year professional maintenance check are part of the city's process. Staff said Tennessee law and the city's stormwater/floodplain ordinances prohibit developers from worsening downstream flooding; neighbors were advised to document problems and contact the planning or engineering departments and the floodplain administrator if issues appear.

After discussion and votes, the commission approved the annexation and recommended the PRD zoning to council (motions carried on roll-call votes). Commissioners asked staff to be explicit about the level of open space provided, the AUR (auto urban residential) policy mix, and whether additional benefits (parks or other amenities) would be provided to justify an exception to townhome allocation policies.

The record shows substantial resident concern about potential flooding and a clear commitment from staff and the applicant to resolve drainage issues at the construction-plan phase; neighbors and the commission were directed to continue documentation and follow-up with city staff if flooding worsens.