Neighborhood Walmart Approved for Honey Farms Area in North Columbia

Issue #412

April 18, 2025

In this What’s Up Columbia issue…

🗓 List of Upcoming Events

⛅️ Columbia’s Weather - Mostly cloudy with high of 83 & low of 65

📰 Neighborhood Walmart Approved for Honey Farms Area in North Columbia

📰 Local Group Pushes to Bring Back Columbia Dam to Solve Water Needs

🚒 MCFD Responds to Propane Leak on I-65 & Early Morning Landfill Fire in Marshall County

🎵 This Week’s Live Music

🗓 Know of Some Local Events Not Listed? Send us the Details!

Upcoming Local Events

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Friday, April 18th

Saturday, April 19th

Sunday, April 20th 🌷 Easter 🌷

Monday, April 21st

Tuesday, April 22nd

Wednesday, April 23rd

📌 Mark Your Calendars…

Neighborhood Walmart Approved for Honey Farms Area in North Columbia

The Columbia Planning Commission has approved preliminary plans for a Neighborhood Walmart in the Honey Farms subdivision, located off Nashville Highway. The proposed development will be adjacent to a future McDonald’s site.

The proposed store will differ from Columbia’s existing Walmart Supercenter. At approximately 40,000 square feet, it will be a smaller-scale prototype the company has begun deploying in growing suburban communities. While larger than Walmart’s typical Neighborhood Market format, the new design will not be a full-sized supercenter.

City planners noted that the design substantially complies with city standards for orientation, parking layout, and visual design. Plans also include a drive connection to Leafcutter Bee Way, which will improve traffic flow and connect the development to surrounding areas. A stub-out on the north side of the site has also been incorporated to support future roadway connectivity, helping to alleviate traffic on Nashville Highway.

Discussion during the April 9 meeting centered on development variances and building signage. Concerns were raised about signage on the building’s south side, which the planning commission ultimately decided should be removed as a condition of approval.

City leaders expressed support for the design, noting its more modern aesthetic and the potential to enhance the growing retail corridor. The motion to approve passed by a vote of 5-1, with one Commissioner James Sloan opposing the plan.

Local Group Pushes to Bring Back Columbia Dam to Solve Water Needs

As Maury County faces increasing utility demands, a grassroots group is revisiting a decades-old solution once halted due to environmental concerns. The group, Columbia Dam Now, held its first public meeting this week to advocate for resurrecting the former Columbia Dam project on the Duck River.

The original Columbia Dam, a Tennessee Valley Authority initiative from the 1970s, was halted in 1983 due to the threat it posed to endangered freshwater mussels. It was eventually dismantled in 1989 after $83 million had already been spent. Now, supporters of the project argue that a new dam could help address long-term water supply needs for Maury and surrounding counties, citing both economic benefits and regional growth.

Group leaders say a new reservoir could span approximately 12,000 acres, making it one of the largest in the region and creating opportunities for both water self-sufficiency and potential revenue through water sales. Some proponents also shared personal ties to the original project and its impact on local families.

In addition to the proposed dam, the county is exploring other water infrastructure options, including a new pipeline drawing from the Cumberland River that will soon connect to the local system.

The Maury County Commission will review the Columbia Dam proposal at its April 21 meeting, where it’s expected to vote on whether to support the effort. The initiative has gained support from several local officials, with federal assistance likely required to move the project forward.

Challenges remain, including the need for updated environmental studies, feasibility assessments, and significant political backing. The group acknowledges that the timeline for such a project would span years and require alignment across multiple levels of government.

To build support, Columbia Dam Now has launched a website—www.ColumbiaDamNow.com—to provide background, accept donations, and share upcoming events. Their next public meeting will take place on April 22 at the Maury County Water System office at 765 Lewisburg Highway.

MCFD Responds to Propane Leak on I-65 & Early Morning Landfill Fire in Marshall County

Click the image for more photos

On Thursday afternoon multiple crashes occurred on I-65 northbound after a vehicle being hauled by an RV became unhooked. Traffic slowed near mile marker 61, with the Peytonsville Rd. exit being closed. Some drivers reported being at a standstill for over 30 minutes. MCFD was one of many first responders.

From Maury County Fire Department’s post…

MUTUAL AID RESPONSES OVERNIGHT  

MCFD responded with the Haz Mat Truck to the City of Franklin on I-65 at the 61 mile marker due to a propane leak from an RV. Units arrived and were able to control the leak and render the vehicle safe by removing the tank that had been pushed up and into the RV from the accident. 

At 03:21am MCFD was requested to respond a tanker to Marshall County for a landfill fire on Mooresville Hwy. Tanker 21 responded and stood by while dozers cut a line around the fire. Tanker 21 was released before 04:30 once the fire was contained. 

🎵 This Week’s Live Music

Friday, April 18th

Cole Ritter Band, Puckett’s, 7:30 - 9:00 PM
Heather Rae, Grinder’s Switch, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Rett Stocstill, Buck & Board, 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Tom Saffell & Robert Johnson, McCreary’s Irish Pub, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Rayla Ray, The Boondox, 8:00 - 11:00 PM

Saturday, April 19th

Brunch With Miles Damaso Group, Puckett’s, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Courtyard Jazz & Cigars, The Mulehouse, 2:45 PM 
Gospel Jam, Pleasant Mt. Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 5:00 PM
Music on the Ridge, Amber Falls Winery, 3:00 - 7:00 PM
The Nature Project, Buck & Board, 5:00 - 8:00 PM
Def Leprechaun Band, McCreary’s Irish Pub, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Hobo Cane, Puckett’s, 7:30 - 9:00 PM
Scotty Morton, The Boondox, 8:00 - 11:00 PM

Sunday, April 20th

Music on the Ridge, Amber Falls Winery, 1:00 - 5:00 PM

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