A 453-home development off Snow Hill Road is planned for the growing Ooltewah area, but it has been met with resistance by several residents and business owners in the area concerned about added traffic and infrastructure problems.
The development by KSM Developing Company came before the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission this week for a parcel of the nearly 200 acres at 6424 Snow Hill Road – currently Heritage Farms – to be rezoned from an agricultural to a residential zoning for low-density single-family homes.
The developer was originally requesting some of the land be rezoned for townhomes, but after opposition from residents in a public meeting in April and a recommendation to deny that request from planning agency staff, the developer amended their request to just an R-1 zoning. The original plan submitted showed a proposed 598 units for the land, but commissioners gave a recommendation to approve the rezoning for just the planned 453 single-family homes.
“I would just like to say that I hope that some concerns have been alleviated by the fact that we are not seeking the (townhomes) anymore and we are respectfully requesting R-1,” said Kelli Richardson from LDA Engineering, speaking for the developer at the commission meeting.
A handful of residents turned out to the meeting on Monday to voice their concerns and several others emailed their opposition to commissioners beforehand. All of those who spoke at the meeting were still under the impression that the developer was asking for townhomes on the land.