CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Montgomery County Government provided details Thursday on their $5 million stormwater drainage project in the Kirkwood area, approved recently by the County Commission.

Until now, Montgomery County has never been in the stormwater business, County Mayor Wes Golden said. “But with our continued growth and the flooding our community has experienced, we know we have an opportunity to address these challenges.

“Residents deserve confidence in the security of their homes and the protection of their home values. We have approved funding and are moving forward with improvements to strengthen our stormwater system and address areas hardest hit by flooding,” Golden said.

Work focused on Kirkwood area, Farmington, Hickory Wild

The work will be focused on the Kirkwood area near Exit 8, which includes Farmington and Hickory Wild. The work will include design, easement acquisition, construction, and project management for a gravity-fed drainage system.

In Phase I, Nashville-based civil engineering firm Barge Design Solutions Inc. and Commonwealth Development Group will survey a series of sinkholes in the area. “This information will be used to develop a drainage improvement plan and reduce the impact of future storms,” Golden said.

Exit 8 neighbors object to new subdivision

Several neighbors in the Exit 8 area spoke out at the latest Regional Planning Commission meeting against the development of section 2 of The Reserve at Hickory Wild subdivision. This includes members of the already-built Hickory Wild community. They said they have concerns about infrastructure in the area, including stormwater infrastructure.

More than 800 people have signed an online petition opposing The Reserve at Hickory Wild section 2, which was deferred one month ago. “We respectfully ask the Planning Commission to deny or postpone approval until it is demonstrated that this development will not adversely affect Hickory Wild or the surrounding communities,” said the petition.

Montgomery County partnering with Replant Clarksville

To help combat stormwater problems, Golden said the county is partnering with Replant Clarksville to add trees in the Exit 8 area. “Trees are a key part of stormwater strategy, helping slow and absorb water, reduce runoff, and improve the area’s appearance.”

Replant Clarksville President Jeff Robinson told Clarksville Now, “Replant Clarksville is super excited about this opportunity to partner with Montgomery County to put over 500 new 12- to 14-foot-tall trees in the Exit 8 area.

“These trees will have an instant impact for stormwater mitigation and beautification both. We are finalizing plans for exact locations and tree types. The trees will be planted this winter, and Replant Clarksville will announce the exact locations in October,” Robinson said.

Stormwater improvements for Exit 8 grocery store

Additional area storm water basin improvements are coming with the planned grocery store coming to Exit 8.

According to previous reports, the IDB board agreed to sell a 5-acre tract on the south Industrial Park to Arizona-based developer Brown Group Inc. The land associated with the deal is part of an IDB stormwater basin, and the developer will be required to make considerable improvements, to include importing dirt, constructing a berm, installing a new outlet structure and potentially adding an injection well.

The IDB’s remaining adjacent 15-acre stormwater basin “will be radically improved because of this development,” IDB President Josh Ward said previously.

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