The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission approved a land rezoning Monday that would permit a new 550-home development in North Hamilton County to move ahead.
The approval of the planned single-family development at Hixson Pike and Green Pond Road, one of the biggest new housing projects proposed in the county this year, came after the developer agreed to trim the proposal from a maximum of 780 houses to 550.
Still, opponents to the planned project, who numbered about 50 at the county planning commission meeting, expressed concerns about road safety, flooding and overcrowded schools in the area.
Derrick Wilson, who lives nearby, said in an interview after the meeting the commission cares more about property taxes than peoples’ lives, citing unsafe driving conditions in the area.
“It’s not right,” he said. “It’s unfortunate for the county.”