Old Hickory Lake Marina Scoping Letter:
Project Planning Branch
To All Interested Parties:
It has become apparent in recent years that the eight commercial concessions (marinas and related services) and three yacht Clubs currently operating on Old Hickory Lake are not fully meeting the public demand for such facilities. As a result, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District issued a Notice of Availability (NOA) in October 2007, outlining six sites around the lake potentially available for commercial concession lease purposes. Proposals received by May 1, 2008 were evaluated based on the Selection Criteria and Point System presented in the NOA. Three proposals have been selected for further evaluation under Phase II of the Process detailed in the NOA. Since the Corps land areas and ownership around Old Hickory Lake are limited, all three selected proposals include both Government and private properties. The three proposals selected for further evaluation are described as follows. Location maps and conceptual plans of each are on the Corps website at: http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/op/old/rec/.
1. Saunders Branch Cove (Lockett). Saunders Branch Cove is located on the right descending bank of the lake at Cumberland River Mile 255 in Sumner County, Tennessee, south of State Route 25. The proposal, submitted by Cumberland Land Holdings LLC, involves 4.47 acres of Corps- owned land, 21.13 acres of Corps-owned water area and a portion of the privately owned, proposed Lockett PUD (Planned Urban Development). The marina would be developed in two phases over five years. During the first phase, approximately 18 floating wet slips with associated utilities (shore power, potable water, etc.) would be built. Also, marine fueling facilities and marine sewage pump out station would be built as well as a public boat ramp and other amenities such as parking, a marina office and restrooms. The development through the fifth year would include 72 dry stack storage spaces and 74 wet slips for a total of 146 boat storage spaces. Total future build out may include 306 dry storage spaces, 168 wet slips, a floating staging dock. a shoreline bulkhead and boardwalk, a marina restaurant/bar, 15 short term rental cottages, drop off parking area, additional storage lockers, additional restroom facilities, and a fishing pier, based upon demand.
2. Station Camp Creek (Foxland Harbor). This site is just southeast of U.S. 31 E within the City of Gallatin, Sumner County, Tennessee near the head of the Station Camp Creek embayment of the lake. The proposal, submitted by Foxland Harbor
Marina, LLC, involves 6.41 acres of Corps-owned land, 40.76 acres of Corps-owned water area and 4.98[RDH1] acres of privately owned property. The marina would be constructed over 5 years with additions each year until full build out. First year construction would consist of the required utilities (water, sewer, electric, phone and cable), full build out parking (138 spaces), the main access road from Foxland Blvd., 42 boat slips, the fuel dock with underground tanks, ship store, restroom and pump-out facility and a waters edge boardwalk. During the first year, the existing adjacent boat ramp would also receive cosmetic improvements and be incorporated into the development. For pedestrian access, a walking trail and bridge meandering through the existing mitigation wetland would connect the boat ramp to the rest of the marina amenities. Full build out of the marina would include 205 secured boat slips ranging in size from 40’ to 80’, public waters edge boardwalk that could be used for community events, ship store, restroom facility, fuel island, 900 linear feet of transient dock, and multiple access points to the slip areas.
3. Davis Corner (Spencer Creek). This site is just west of U.S. Highway 109 on Spencer Creek in Wilson County, Tennessee. The proposal, submitted by Spencer Creek Marina Partnership, GP, involves 3.35 acres of Corps-owned land, 25.53 acres of Corps-owned water area and 4.37 acres of privately owned property. The marina would be constructed in four development stages over five years. Stage I construction would include 102 wet slips ranging in size from 20’ – 60’, 12 transient slips, along with associated walkways, boardwalks, bridges, and utility (water, electric, and sewage) infrastructure. Also included in Stage I is a restaurant/retail floating structure, roadways and parking, renovation of the existing building to an office area, Yacht club, sewage treatment system consisting of a lift station, force main piping, sand filter with separation tank and digesting tank, an effluent chlorination manhole with a gravity flow for treated liquids to go into the lake. Remaining stages would include at least 100 additional wet slips northward of the Stage 1 slips, a marine maintenance store and boat brokerage business on the parcel of land directly across from the existing building, installation of minimum 100 boat Dry Stack storage with a courtesy pier for staging and a floating patio for special occasions, a playground consisting of a swimming pool, tennis courts, kiddie playground equipment and a 9-hole putting green and additional parking to meet the required boat/vehicle ratio. Future expansion beyond the initial five year period consists of utilization of available shoreline that runs north and south and is basically the eastern border of the property site. The number of wet slips and boardwalk required would be determined by market studies performed after the 5 year development.
At this point, the Corps is evaluating whether to select any or all of the above proposals, issue a lease or leases for the respective land and water areas and issue DA Permit(s), based on provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), the Clean Water Act (CWA) and other legal and policy considerations. Upon selection of a potential proposal or proposals and provisions of NEPA and NHPA and the CWA being met, the requirements of Phase II of the proposal and award process must be completed by the applicant(s) prior to final negotiations and award of a lease or leases and issuance of DA Permits. Alternatives available to the Corps and presently under consideration include:
1. Select any or all of the proposals as submitted, issue DA Permit(s) and negotiate and award lease(s),
2. Select any or all of the proposals with any special conditions deemed necessary to mitigate environmental impacts, issue DA Permit(s) and negotiate and award lease(s), and
3. Reject any or all proposals (defined as the "No Action" Alternative.).
In accordance with NEPA, we will prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) before reaching a decision concerning the proposals. During the NEPA process, mitigation measures may be formulated and incorporated into the proposals in order to reduce project impacts to insignificant levels. A draft EA will describe alternatives and evaluate potential environmental impacts to land and water. This draft document will be made available to the public and interested parties for comment.
After completion of the EA, one of two possible outcomes will result, depending on the extent of environmental impacts associated with the project. The two possible outcomes are:
1. A "Finding of No Significant Impact" (FONSI) or
2. Findings of significant impacts that would require further evaluation in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
If a FONSI is issued, no EIS is necessary. If an Environmental Impact Statement is required for any proposal, that proposal will be deleted from further consideration.
As part of the NEPA process, the Nashville District is soliciting written comments from the public and agencies about environmental issues to be addressed in the EA. Council on Environmental Quality and Corps of Engineers regulations for implementation of NEPA provide for this process, called “scoping.” If you would like to participate in the scoping process, please submit your comments no later than January 30, 2009, to assure evaluation and inclusion in the EA. Responses should be mailed to:
Ray Hedrick
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Nashville District
Attn: CELRN-PM-P
P.O. Box 1070
Nashville, TN 37202-1070
Your participation is appreciated. If you have any questions concerning this process, please feel free to contact Mr. Ray Hedrick at (615) 736-5026.