Collegedale planning officials are hoping the potential installment of natural gas infrastructure along Little Debbie Parkway and other key areas could spark an increase in commercial development throughout the city.
Fifteen years ago, property owners throughout various parts of the city opted not to have natural gas lines installed on their tract of land, but with all the growth attracting new businesses to the Greater East Hamilton area, Collegedale Planning and Economic Development Director Kelly Martin said the utility has become a vital check-box for retailers looking for a site in the exploding local market.
The resource is especially important for developers looking to add establishments like restaurants and hotels, which almost always require natural gas because it is less expensive per unit than propane, said Martin.
“If they can’t check that box, then they’re going to want to move on to another site,” he said.
While that alternative site may still be within Collegedale city limits, there is a limited amount of available space for commercial development, Martin said.
“What we’re trying to do, from my perspective, is to maximize the use of the available land,” he explained. “It’s sort of the ‘waste not, want not’ philosophy.”
Though the hope is to be able to have gas lines installed in all the areas in the city that lack it, the conversation has started with Little Debbie Parkway.
The roadway, referred to in the city’s Land Use Plan as a “central corridor,” connects two heavily traveled state routes: Lee Highway, which carries approximately 27,000 cars a day, and Apison Pike, which carries more than 15,000.
Because of its placement between the two busy areas, Little Debbie Parkway has become a focal point for development, drawing projects like office-condo facility Parkway Professional Center. However, several sections along the road are without gas lines, which Martin said has already turned businesses away.
“There’s a lot of attention on this market right now,” he said, “and I know of a lot of names that are looking for a site and they can’t find one.”
In order to get those lines installed, Chattanooga Gas Company, which builds the natural gas infrastructure throughout Collegedale, needs to see a demand to justify an investment, Martin said.
To give the city an idea of what it would have to do make those areas eligible for infrastructure installment, Chattanooga Gas has invited Collegedale property owners, developers and real estate brokers to a lunch-and-learn at City Hall Monday, Feb. 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
“We won’t know that until the gas company can weigh in a little more on what they see here,” he said.