Plans for a controversial mixed-use development in Hixson are being abandoned after developer Duane Horton of the Scenic Land Co. was denied a rezoning request for the 190-acre parcel poised on a hilltop near Highway 153 and Boy Scout Road. Chattanooga City Council voted 5-3 Jan. 22 to not accept the developer’s proposal.
Just before the vote, Pam Ladd, who represents the area where the land is located, said she would be voting against the project due to the volume of related negative opinions she had received from her constituents.
Those voting for the rezoning included council members Carol Berz, Russell Gilbert and Andrae McGary.
“We must do for one what we do for all,” said McGary, adding that the Council should not raise the bar of expectations for some zoning requests yet lower it for others. “We must be fair.”
Prior to the vote, Horton told council members he had gathered community input at 18 public meetings and the project had undergone five major redesigns, resulting in 38 conditions having been added to the rezoning request.