ON THE WEBVisit the Web site of opponents to the proposed apartment complex at www.voiceforooltewah.org.
City Council members could face stiff public response Tuesday against a proposed apartment complex on Hunter Road that local residents say poses a public safety hazard.
“The problem here is safety,” said John Harris, a resident of Windhaven subdivision off Hunter Road. “That roadway is just not capable of handling something like that there.”
The city recently annexed the property off Hunter Road by request from developer Lighthouse Enterprises. The 254-unit apartment complex was denied months ago by the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission because of safety concerns with the road.
The developer then decided to go the route of annexation and seek approval from the City Council. The council is expected to vote on the case at 6 p.m. Tuesday during its regularly scheduled meeting.
Civil engineer Mike Price, representing Lighthouse Enterprises, said Friday there are some road concerns as far as line of sight from the entrance, but most of those have been addressed in a series of conditions the Regional Planning Agency placed on the developer, he said.
Other sections of the road have concerns because of speeding, he said.
“There’s some issues that can be controlled through enforcement,” he said.
Councilman Jack Benson, who represents the area, said the community faces more issues with urbanization because of rapid growth. He said he appreciates the opponents’ position.
“I’m leaning toward turning it down,” he said. “My vote’s on safety.”
Continue reading by following these links to related stories: