A proposal to build a $350,000 single-family home on a one-acre tract in St. Elmo drew opposition from about 20 people on Monday, but a planning panel gave its OK for the project to move ahead.
The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Planning Commission approved rezoning the property from manufacturing to residential, though not before more than half a dozen nearby residents and property owners spoke out against it.
Chattanooga architect Garnet Chapin, a property owner in St. Elmo, said the land at the east end of West 46th Street on Hawkins Ridge was hoped to be public space, and the rezoning opens the way for future development of the area.
"It's a classic case of the camel getting its nose into the tent," he said.
County Commissioner Joe Graham also spoke against the rezoning, citing water runoff and road issues.
But Mike Price of MAP Engineers, representing developer Sunnyside Properties LLC, said one house won't create a traffic problem. He said the developer would deal with stormwater runoff concerns.
The project still needs City Council approval.