CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Site plans for a new, four-story, 124-room Marriott hotel were considered at the latest Clarksville-Montgomery County Regional Planning Commission meeting on Nov. 26 before being deferred for one month at the request of the applicant amid traffic concerns.
The site plans were previously discussed at the RPC’s Aug. 7 meeting, when two residents spoke out against the development; they included Derrick Sheppard and Councilperson Keri Lovato.
‘I’ve almost been hit there’
Sheppard told Clarksville Now he’s concerned about the additional traffic.
“At the intersection of Kennedy Lane and Westfield (Court), there’s people that live back there, and I’m one of them, and 45 additional houses are set to be built in a new subdivision. That’s going to be 90 additional cars, and that intersection at times can be very difficult to exit. My wife has almost been hit; I’ve almost been hit there; my daughter has almost been hit there. The only thing I’m saying is can we please fix this intersection. From my understanding … this has been an issue for years now.”
At the RPC meeting on Aug. 7, Lovato said the intersection of Kennedy and Westfield cannot handle the increase in traffic.
“Right now, those residents in those neighborhoods on Kennedy Lane and back further, there’s only one way in and one way out,” Lovato said. “If you are ever sitting there, you can see it’s very difficult for them to get out. If there is ever an accident, those residents are stuck there in their neighborhoods for hours. I’ve personally witnessed fire trucks, EMS, have a hard time trying to turn right on Kennedy Lane because Westfield traffic often blocks that.”
Owen Berry, who spoke in favor of the development, said he understands their concerns. A representative with the Clarksville Street Department also said they were working on ideas to resolve the concerns, but the site plans were voted down.
Implementation of smaller roundabout
When the site plans returned for approval Tuesday, Nov. 27, Street Department Director David Smith offered a possible solution. He said nonlocal traffic more than local traffic obstructs Kennedy and Westfield, and after speaking with residents and businesses in the area, the Street Department is looking to make Kennedy right-out only.
“From what we observed, and from what the residents and businesses observed, the folks that get stuck make a right turn, an illegal U-turn if you will, through private property, through some of the hotels and whatnot to get out and egress.
“So, our approach would be to make that an illegal maneuver by creating a smaller roundabout there at the intersection of Fair Brook and Westfield. So, the folks can travel down a couple hundred yards from Kennedy (Lane), without being parked for an extended period of time trying to make a left out, negotiate that small roundabout and come back at the signal. If it’s their desire to make a right turn, they can travel down to Fair Brook by Walmart and safely egress.”
Smith said the ingress and egress plan that Marriott International submitted is very good. “They are going to identify some signage that would focus on that nonlocal traffic. Instead of making the connection into the restaurants from Westfield, they would focus that to Kennedy as well. So, we’d have folks coming in and out from there because anybody turning right would get stuck. Sometimes that traffic backs up to Westfield Court.”
Street Department project
Smith said the hoteliers are aware of these plans and have been working closely with the Street Department. “The traffic impact study takes that into account, as it did the previous time this came up.”
There was a very different pattern to the traffic impact study, but the traffic that comes in and out of the hotel, with the check-in and check-out times, doesn’t impact rush hour traffic, Smith said. “Whether this happens or not, this is still a plan we have at the Street Department to move forward with to help the residents in the area that are already dealing with this.”
When asked whether the realignment will be mobilized sooner rather than later, Smith said they can move on it, but it’s a striving project. “There is very little asphalt that has to go down to make this happen … We’re going to paint this on the ground first, sign it and show that the pattern can succeed before moving forward.”
Smith said if the proposal can be deferred for one month, he’ll likely be able to provide the RPC with a 2-D drawing of what the Street Department looks to accomplish. He said the applicants are willing to contribute toward some of the infrastructure improvements.
Request for deferral
Stanley Ross of Mitchell, Ross & Rocconi spoke on behalf of the applicant. With the potential traffic resolutions, he asked the RPC to defer the proposed site plans for one month. However, Ross said he hopes the RPC considers the site plans for approval based off the applicant meeting the regulations for site plan review.
Berry, the developer’s representative, said the hotel would more than likely open at the end of 2026, or early in 2027.
“Our guests at the hotel would also be affected by the current challenges that exist at this intersection, so we are incentivized as an operator of a hotel to make sure our guests, as well as the residents around, have a good experience with the development. So, we are committed to assisting in any way possible with anything needed for this challenge,” Berry said.
The Planning Commission unanimously voted to defer. The next formal RPC meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 20.
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