GALLATIN, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Gallatin City Council work session grew contentious Tuesday night as council members considered rezoning a plot of land to make way for a more than 700 single and multi-family home development on Lock 4 Road.

 

Several neighbors who live across the street from the proposed development site voiced their concerns about the potential traffic problems and strains on city services the subdivision could cause, among other issues.

 

“The county had it right, and when you annexed it, you’re destroying the area,” resident Phillip Simpson said. “I just wish you would be considerate of the public who lives here in Gallatin now and not the 768 houses [proposed in the development.]”

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One Gallatin neighbor pointed to a city traffic study that found the additional 768 homes would generate 6,520 “trips” on Lock 4 Road every day.

 

“Wow. That absolutely blew my mind,” said Gallatin resident Todd Alexander.

 

Councilman Pascal Jouvence told council members he was also concerned with the number of homes per acre the development would allow. He tried to show a video of a past city council meeting to explain how the developer’s zoning request is not allowed under Gallatin’s Comprehensive Growth Plan, which was passed in 2022; Jouvence was met with resistance.

“I am not in favor of that because of the way it has been used in the past, but it’s this body’s decision,” Mayor Paige Brown responded to Jouvence’s request to show the video. “Mr. Jouvence, respectfully, I feel like you have done that to try to disparage people or paint them in a light, and you’re controlling the context.”

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“You’re refusing my right of a city council to speak,” Jouvence said. “Are you taking away my First Amendment right, ma’am?”

 

Jouvence’s video was never shown during the meeting.

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News 2 met with Jouvence along Lock 4 Rd. where he further explained his concerns about how the development could negatively impact his constituents, arguing the area is too rural for the proposed density of the development.

 

“[My constituents] have no problem with that being developed. They’re smart enough to understand that that land will be developed, but what they want is that to be developed with the way everything looks around there.”

 

The current proposed development plan allows for 2.6 homes per acre, but neighbors would like that brought down to two homes per acre to match the rural feel of the area. In addition, neighbors told News 2 they worry about how the influx of people could put a strain on schools and emergency services.

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“I don’t think the council people have voted based on what the people think, which is really disheartening because the message is loud and clear,” said James VanVonderen, who lives across the street from the proposed development site.

 

VanVonderen, like many of his neighbors, believes townhomes should be omitted from the development.