Signal Mountain planners postpone vote on 106-home subdivision

The Signal Mountain Planning Commission postponed its vote on whether to approve a proposed 106-home development off of Shackleford Ridge Road for another month, tabling the decision until the board’s March 5 meeting.

Planning Commission Chair Andrew Coyle said the board has 60 days from Jan. 8, when the preliminary plat was first presented, to decide whether to accept the proposed development.

Commissioners previously deferred the vote in January to await the results of a geotechnical survey they requested based on evidence of historic mining activities on the 182-acre property where the development is proposed.

Due to below-freezing temperatures Thursday, the geotechnical engineering firm hired by the developer was unable to conduct a portion of the study that involved drilling into the ground, Kirby Yost, the developer’s attorney, told the board.

Signal Mountain planners postpone vote on 106-home subdivision

Geotechnical engineer Derek Kilday of UES Professional Services told commissioners that the study included a historical data review to determine the location of past mining activity at the site as well as geophysical exploration. That involved inducing current into the ground and measuring the response to find voids in the soil, he said.