A forested hill that caps Missionary Ridge, tucked between Tunnel Boulevard and South Chickamauga Creek, could soon hold more than 1,700 housing units if a developer has his way.
Neighbors of the proposed Doolittle Farms development gathered Sunday to organize their opposition to the mixed-use project, which they say is too dense for the surrounding neighborhood. They met for an hour, going over a presentation about the plans for the land, before letting developer Michael Kenner into the room to field questions.
“We want the new houses to have yards, we do not want four-story buildings,” Connie Morris, with the Hillsboro Heights Community Association, said at the meeting. “We do not want multifamily. We do not have multifamily neighborhoods down in that area at all. We have churches, we have narrow streets.”
Kenner withdrew his initial application to rezone the property in December, promising to meet further with the community. The property is set for another rezoning hearing March 10.
Kenner said he’s been meeting with residents of East Chattanooga about this and other projects he’s proposed in the area. He said the design of Doolittle Farms came together based on feedback from residents at roundtable meetings he held in the area last year.