Officials in Red Bank and Soddy-Daisy say their cities have seen recent increases in building permits for residential properties, a trend that seems to be reflected in other parts of north Hamilton County.
Soddy-Daisy City Commissioner Geno Shipley said at the board's Oct. 5 meeting that in September the city issued building permits for $1.5 million in construction or remodeling work, roughly $478,000 more than the average for the previous eight months. According to Soddy-Daisy City Recorder Burt Johnson, from January to September the city issued $8,362,463 worth of such permits.
Johnson said four new residential developments are planned in the city within the next few years. Among them is a residential development of 33 homes by developer William Hedgecoth behind the former Tavern Sports Bar property at 12130 Dayton Pike on the city's north end. Hedgecoth also received approval from commissioners Oct. 5 to rezone property at 12050 Dayton Pike, where he plans to build 30 single-family homes.
Construction on those is set to begin sometime within the next 60 days.
Developer George Lutrell plans to build 30 single-family townhomes at 10623 Dayton Pike, Johnson said, and developer Mark Eller's Bent Creek subdivision off of Clift Road, where several homes have already been built, contains 33 lots for single-family homes.
The city also recently gained its first new apartment complex in many years, the 128-unit Glen Hollow Apartments at 9449 Dayton Pike, which was approved by the city last year and is now leasing, Johnson said.
Red Bank Public Works Director Tim Thornbury said the city has issued 36 building permits for new homes since January, versus the 22 permits for new homes issued all of last year. Between January 2016 and December 2016, new residential construction in Red Bank totaled $4,493,175. The total from January to September of this year is more than double that: $11,243,448 worth.
"The North River area is one of the fastest-growing areas in town," said Chris Anderson, director of development and government relations for GreenTech, a local developer that builds energy-efficient homes.
The area's proximity to downtown and outdoor amenities such as the trails at Stringer's Ridge, along with its still-affordable prices, are among the reasons for its desirability, he said.
GreenTech purchased a planned unit development on Stringer's Ridge after Red Bank city commissioners approved the development in May 2016, and it hopes to build three to four new developments in Red Bank in the next year and a half.
Construction began this spring at the Stringer's Ridge site, North Point Ridge (initially called Midvale Highlands), which is composed of 68 single-family home sites. Eight homes have already been sold and eight more are under construction, and the plan is to build 30-plus homes a year. Homes range in size from 1,850-2,600 square feet and cost between $330,00 and $430,000, Anderson said.
This spring, GreenTech plans to start construction at its Mountain View development, which is composed of 48 home sites located off of Mountain Creek Road just outside Red Bank city limits. Construction is expected to begin at Northtowne Estates, another GreenTech development located off of Dayton Boulevard just outside Red Bank city limits, no later than next summer.
Chattanooga city planners recently approved the rezoning of Northtowne Estates' nearly 50 acres, where GreenTech plans to put around 150 single-family homes. One 41.3-acre parcel would be zoned R-1 residential, which allows for low-density residential development of single-family dwellings with minimum lot sizes of 7,500 square feet. The other 7.46-acre tract is proposed R-T/Z residential, which allows for medium-density residential development intended for single-family dwellings with zero lot lines and townhouses at eight units per acre. Allen Jones, senior land planner for ASA Engineering who represented the developer before the planning commission, said GreenTech would be willing to put in only single-family detached homes if the project received approval.
The Chattanooga City Council is expected to vote on the proposal Nov. 14 - the same day it will consider H&H Development's proposed plan for 31 single-family units off Cary Lane near Red Bank, which was denied by the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission. H&H Development wants to build the homes on 10.1 acres, though there would be 3.3 acres set aside for community space, according to the proposal.
In August of this year, Mike Price of MAP Engineering requested the rezoning of less than 5 acres of undeveloped property around the 400-500 block of Lullwater Road in Red Bank on behalf of Sam Piper Development. Price said the firm is planning to buy the property from the current owner, and while plans for the development are still in flux, the developer has discussed building 16 two- to three-story homes ranging from 1,500-2,200 square feet.
Previously zoned R-1 residential, the property is now zoned R-T/Z, allowing for single-family detached dwellings with minimum lot widths of 35 feet and zero lot lines, meaning the dwellings must be at least 10 feet from the adjacent property line.
A little further afield, the Chattanooga City Council recently approved a special exceptions permit to allow developer ECGT LLC to proceed with a 21-unit subdivision on the 3200 block of Hixson Pike, located in the midst of the "S curves."
Staff writer Dave Flessner contributed to this story.
Contact Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6508.