Mike Price, who is working with two developers on separate area projects, listens to community members’ concerns about the one proposed for Ooltewah-Ringgold Road.With several proposed residential developments on the table for the East Hamilton area and the Planning Commission set to vote this week on whether to recommend one, area residents met last week to share their concerns with the developments’ representatives.
Pratt Home Builders’ rezoning request for a 80-acre tract in the 10300 block of East Brainerd Road was scheduled to be heard by the Planning Commission Monday, Aug. 8. If approved by both that body and the Hamilton County Commission, the local developer will be able to create 248 single-family homes on the site, currently zoned for agricultural use, over the next six years.
A second, unrelated development proposed for the area comes from Chattanooga-based Waters-Holland Residential Builders, which would like to build 66 single-family homes along the 3500 block of Ooltewah-Ringgold Road by 2020.
Before moving forward with plans, the developers each hosted meetings at Shelter Church on Aug. 1 and 2 to hear from area residents. Several spoke out about the impact the developments could have on property values, property taxes and storm drain runoff, but the predominant issue residents expressed concern about at both meetings was increased traffic.
Responding to heated inquiries about the possible traffic delays Pratt’s proposed addition of nearly 250 families would cause, Mike Price admitted the development would most likely increase transit time along East Brainerd Road, especially when school begins. But, he said, he wouldn’t know how much until he and the developer received results from a traffic study.