CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Some council members in Clarksville are putting their foot down, standing against a plan to build apartments near a major flood zone.
The land is only one acre just north of West Concord Drive, but council member Jerry Haywood told News 2 it's an important piece of property for diverting flood waters away from homes.
Haywood said there is still water standing in some of the homes impacted by the flooding in the area earlier this year.
The homes are near the property that a county planning director wants to change the zoning for. The land would be re-zoned to a multiple-family residential area, allowing developers to build apartments.
Currently, the acre is filled with trees, which helps soak up a lot of floodwater. Haywood told News 2, if those are removed, the flooding would just get worse.
Haywood said he's not against development in Clarksville, but believes they should focus on infrastructure first, "I'd love to see development, but I'd love to see something done about the flooding. I think that our number one concern is that any development that is currently standing needs to stay standing."
City council will vote on the zoning change at its regular session meeting this Thursday.