If the planning commission gives the green light next month, the Brainerd area will be one step closer to achieving its dream of beautification.
Chattanooga planning officials are hoping to expand the Brainerd Overlay Zone and apply similar zoning requirements to roads surrounding the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport.
The Brainerd Overlay Zone, implemented in 2014 as part of the “Brainerd a Vision for Today” master plan, currently covers the mile-long stretch of Brainerd Road between its intersections with Spring Creek and East Brainerd roads.
The code calls for business owners to beautify the area by installing street-lining trees and landscaping, and implements regulations to clear the legion of signs cluttering the commercial area. It also requires business owners to create pedestrian and bike lanes and construct parking spaces at the back – rather than the front – of some establishments, among other specifications.
If all goes according to plan, the overlay zone would be extended to include all properties on Brainerd Road and Lee Highway from the Spring Creek Road intersection to the intersection with Highway 153, stretching about another three miles.