The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency is expected to recommend rezoning property clustered around the 5300 block of Hunter Road to high-density residential at its June 14 planning commission meeting. That zoning would allow for the proposed building of 254 apartments at the site, which has been the topic of controversy.
Neighboring resident Mike Wilson and a dozen or so other residents have been vocal about their opposition since the plan was first proposed by developer Lighthouse Enterprises and site engineer Mike Price in January. At that time it was to go before the Hamilton County Commission with a unanimous recommendation from the RPA not to approve the R3 zoning.
Wilson says the zoning is not in keeping with the character of surrounding development and that it will further stress the already sub-par infrastructure.
“I’ve got four or five different concerns, but the major concern is this property … is in an R1 and A1 neighborhood with low-density building,” he said, noting that low-density is considered three to five units per acre. “They’re proposing R3 and high-density that does not fit with the neighborhood. I have school and traffic and safety concerns too.”
Although Hunter Road is a main artery from Interstate 75 to Highway 58, it is still a two-lane road with no shoulder. Wilson said putting that many more vehicles on the road will make it even more dangerous and will lead to traffic issues.
In the past, Price has worked with neighbors of other developments to alleviate such concerns, drawing up long lists of requirements in order for the development to move forward. When representing Flournoy Construction in its quest to build a large and widely debated apartment complex on Panorama Drive in East Brainerd, a traffic light was installed at the developer’s expense.
Wilson also said that schools in the area – Wallace Smith Elementary, Hunter Middle and Ooltewah High – are already at or near capacity.
The Hamilton County Commission never took a vote on the issue, repeatedly choosing to table it instead. Developers then sought annexation from the city of Chattanooga, which was approved by a 6-3 vote after a long debate April 20.