Despite concerns from neighbors, a plan to put more than 100 new townhouses on a vacant tract of land in the rapidly growing East Brainerd Road area has drawn the OK of planners.
But a consultant for the developer said after talking with nearby residents, seven single-family homes off Fuller Road will be dropped from the plan, though that will require adding townhouses to gain more density.
"We've got to add approximately 20 units to offset the seven homes," said Jeff Sikes, executive vice president of the consulting firm ASA Engineering, to the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission on Monday.
The panel approved a rezoning request for the 28-acre site at East Brainerd and Fuller roads, and the proposal will now go to the County Commission for its endorsement in March.
Matt Burton, who lives near the parcel, said at the meeting that there are traffic concerns on Fuller Road and he approved of removing the single-family homes from the plan.
"It's an atrocious road to drive on," he said. But he added that trying to access East Brainerd Road from side streets now can be challenging.
Also, he worried about how increasing development in the area is affecting wildlife.
"We just keep building development after development after development," Burton said. "Are all the complexes near Volkswagen full?"
Joseph Walker, who lives nearby in the Brently Woods subdivision, told the planning panel that he has worries about the location of some townhomes in the proposal. He also sought a robust buffer zone between the neighborhood and the planned project.
Sikes said the developer plans to put in a buffer with evergreens. He said the buffer will help with both noise and aesthetics.
Sikes said the project by developer Bridge Tower Homes is expected to offer three- and four-bedroom townhouse units. After the meeting, Sikes declined further comment. He referred questions to David Douglas of the development group, who did not return phone calls.
But Sikes earlier said in a rezoning application that the project will provide much-needed housing options for people who work in and around the site and that the development fits the growing area.
East Hamilton County is seeing a lot of home-building as people fill jobs from companies such as Volkswagen, McKee Foods Corp. and others.
Late last year, one of the biggest undeveloped sites in East Brainerd was eyed for hundreds of new apartments and homes along with another public school following a $24.7 million sale of a 95-acre tract on Goodwin Road.
Health insurer Cigna sold its property to an Atlanta real estate partnership formed by Empire Communities. Empire's investment group then sold the former 98,000-square-foot office and surrounding parking lot with nearly 19 acres to the county school system for $7.9 million.
The investment group also sold a parcel for $9 million to an entity that plans to build up to 351 apartment units and 200 senior living units. For its part, Empire Communities has obtained a zoning change to allow the firm to build 230 single-family houses on undeveloped property.
In nearby Collegedale, a panel voted last October to rezone land off Edgmon Road, approving a proposed development that will hold up to 500 homes despite opposition from some residents.
Part of the 400-acre property, which was rezoned from agriculture to low-density single family, houses Hidden Hills Farm and Saddle Club.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.