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Commissioners reject Clarion Homes rezoning request for Horseshoe Road after extended public hearing
Summary
After a lengthy public hearing with dozens of residents testifying about traffic, flooding and school capacity, the Robertson County Commission declined Clarion Homes’ request to rezone 39.30 acres on Horseshoe Road from AG-2 to R-30; the planning commission had recommended approval 3–2.
Robertson County commissioners on the evening’s public hearing declined a request from Clarion Homes to rezone 39.30 acres on Horseshoe Road from AG-2 to R-30, following more than an hour of public testimony focused on road capacity, stormwater concerns and the cumulative effect of new subdivisions.
Residents who spoke against the rezoning said the local infrastructure is already strained. Nicole Taylor of Callister Road told commissioners, “Horseshoe Road is 16 feet wide. They’re going to widen it by 2 feet for 750 feet. That’s it.” Multiple speakers cited hundreds of nearby homes under construction, school-capacity pressures and frequent roadway washouts. Paul Farmer, a 32-year resident, said he was “not against growth” but “against irresponsible growth,” adding that utilities, police and EMS are already stretched.
Andy Leith, the project designer representing Clarion Homes, told the commission he represents the project and described the proposal as consistent with the county’s 2040 plan, saying, “We are proposing under 1 unit per acre,” and that most lots would be 0.75 acre or larger with individual septic systems and White House Utility District water available for the site. He also said the developer is farther along than many applicants in completing soils and survey work.
Commission discussion centered on whether additional information—specifically a traffic study or stormwater/runoff analysis—should be required before a rezoning decision. A motion to table the matter to gather more data failed on a roll call (5 yes, 18 no). The subsequent vote on the rezoning failed to reach the threshold required for approval; the chair announced the motion failed and the property remains in its current zoning.
The rezoning application had been recommended for approval by the planning commission by a 3–2 vote. Commissioners who supported the developer said the parcel sits inside planned growth areas and the application complied with requested planning conditions; opponents cautioned that cumulative development and recent flooding in nearby White House argue for delaying approvals until infrastructure and stormwater solutions are in place.
