Case Study
Nolensville Town Center Advances Smart Stormwater Planning
The Nolensville Town Center in Nolensville, Tennessee, is a 25-acre mixed-use development designed to become the heart of the community, combining residential units, retail, restaurants, and public spaces. Developers from Land Innovations faced a high-stakes challenge: balancing strict stormwater regulations with the need to maximize buildable land for streets, buildings, and public amenities. The site’s limited footprint and steep topography made traditional detention basins impractical, as they would have consumed critical space and offered little functional value. Jen-Hill, a Nexterra company, was brought in to provide expert stormwater guidance, helping engineers turn these constraints into high-performance infrastructure.
Early plans relied on a conventional detention pond with steep side slopes that would have taken up critical land and provided no community benefit during dry periods. Jen-Hill worked with Land Innovations and RAWSO Constructors to integrate an automated, responsive stormwater management system. The system adapts in real time to weather conditions, optimizes release rates, and reduces overall detention volume by up to 50 percent. This freed valuable land for public use while turning the pond into an active amenity, supporting walkable streets, pocket parks, and the central town square. By converting underutilized stormwater infrastructure into a functional, high-value feature, the team preserved buildable land while improving system efficiency and resilience.
From the earliest planning stages, Jen-Hill applied deep stormwater engineering expertise to preserve open space, ensure regulatory compliance, and enhance long-term site performance. The system captures, treats, and releases water efficiently while reducing maintenance needs and improving pollutant removal. This integrated approach supports safe pedestrian circulation, flexible community spaces, and resilient infrastructure capable of performing reliably under varying conditions.
The phased development strategy allows Nolensville Town Center to grow while maintaining infrastructure efficiency. Phase one establishes townhomes, live/work units, the central town square, and initial green spaces. Phase two adds additional residential and commercial mixed-use buildings, a dog park, and interconnected greenways. Phase three completes the vision with structured parking, final residential units, and extended greenway links. Throughout all phases, Jen-Hill ensures stormwater solutions protect buildable land, optimize site efficiency, and maintain resilient infrastructure capable of supporting high-density development without sacrificing community amenities.
The result is a form-based urban plan that blends density, sustainability, and livability, fulfilling the town’s vision for a vibrant, connected future. The Nolensville Town Center demonstrates how advanced stormwater engineering and strategic planning can turn site constraints into high-value, multifunctional infrastructure. By combining regulatory compliance, intelligent operational design, and innovative land-use strategies, Jen-Hill enables the project team to maximize buildable land, unlock public amenities, and deliver systems built for long-term resilience.