Some neighbors to a proposed 31-unit townhouse project in North Chattanooga are opposing the development, prompting the builder to seek more time to work on a plan for the vacant tract.
"This is just a terrible idea," said Chris Lamirand, who lives near the 2.79-acre parcel located between North Market Street and Forest Avenue in the 700 and 800 blocks of Franklin Street.
Rocky Chambers, representing developer ALC Holdings LLC, on Monday asked the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission to defer for 60 days a request to rezone the land.
"You heard the neighbors," he told the panel after Lamirand expressed a list of worries. "There's certainly a lot of things we can't do anything about. But they did bring up a number of things we can. That's why we want to work with them a little bit longer."
The panel agreed to defer until March the proposed rezoning of the site from R-1 residential to R-T/Z zone, which would enable the company to build the townhouses.
John Bridger, executive director of the Regional Planning Agency, said R-T/Z can accommodate a variety of building options for the developer. Among those are smaller lot, detached single-family homes, he said.
Lamirand, who spoke for a number of people opposed to the townhouse proposal, said he doesn't think any R-T/Z plan is appropriate for the site.
"Having subsequent meetings is probably not going to do any good unless it remains R-1," he said.
Lamirand said the site is surrounded by R-1 zoning and it's at the juncture of three streets.
"The traffic concerns are immense," he said.
The neighbor said the company wants to clear cut the property, which contains a steep grade.
"It would cause erosion ... sewer issues," Lamirand said. "It would have a huge environmental impact. It really only benefits the developer. That's the bottom line. It sets a dangerous precedent for this residential area."
Garnet Chapin, president of the Northside-Cherokee Neighborhood Association, said that while downtown has enjoyed planned development, poorly designed neighborhoods should not be welcome.
"Especially if it seriously degrades the existing neighborhood," he said.
Chapin said that allowing 30 townhouses in a single-family neighborhood "is not good urban design."
"It certainly does not create any positive results for existing homeowners," he said.
City Councilman Darrin Ledford asked Chambers if the developer's potential solutions call for keeping the tract at R-1.
Chambers said the group would like to proceed with an R-T/Z zoning.
"Hopefully, we can work out something with the majority of the neighbors," he said.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.