The debate centers on the proposed Foxland Harbor Marina project in Gallatin

GALLATIN, Tenn. (WSMV) – David Scherer has been launching his boat at the Camp Boat Ramp station for as long as he has lived in Gallatin. He says the small parking lot can often be full on peak days, usually weekends.

That could change soon.

“They will use this launch to launch all their boats. They’re not going to have a dedicated barge there for the people who use the docks there,” Scherer said.

What he is referring to is a proposed new marina to be built just a few hundred meters from the boat ramp.

The Foxland Harbor Marina project has been in the works for over a year now, but was not implemented without concerns from local residents.

“I think expanding the existing commercial marinas is a much more prudent way to expand boating traffic and recreational use of the lake,” Nate Rubright said.

Rubright owns Gallatin Marina, about 15 minutes from where Foxland Harbor Marina will be built. He says not only would Foxland cause problems for boat traffic, he’s also concerned about how it could impact the existing lake environment while the marina is built.

“The majority of the area is one to two feet deep, so significant dredging would be required just to build the marina,” Rubright said.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers just completed an environmental impact study and determined that the proposed marina would not have a significant impact on Old Hickory Lake.

The project includes hundreds of boat slips, a picnic area at the boat launch, a nature walk and more. Proponents argue that it will increase property values ​​and reduce wait times at marinas.

Others fear traffic on the road leading there will be congested, blocking the area as people walk to the marina.

“There’s really no way to get past it if it’s a one-way street,” Darwin Carstensen said.

The Corps of Engineers has not yet set a date for when it will make a decision about the future of the marina.

They have a public hearing you can attend Thursday evening from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Volunteer State Community College’s Caudill Auditorium. The address is 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN 37066.

For more information on project plans, see the proposal here.

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