A new 76-unit, $16 million assisted living facility is proposed for East Brainerd with plans to start work next year, officials said.
Flournoy Development Co. received approval this week from the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission to rezone 8.7 acres on Shallowford Road near Jenkins Road from R-1 residential to R-4 special zone.
Mike Price of MAP Engineers said the proposed 54,662-square-foot assisted living center is in keeping with development occurring in the area, citing the major expansion Erlanger is undertaking in East Brainerd.
"You want to be close to health care," said Price, who represented the developers.
He said the designers of the project, which still must win the OK of the Chattanooga City Council, "really kind of tucked it away" on the site. While the facility would go on 8.7 acres, another 4.2 acre-tract would be left as open space, according to the plan.
However, Gaye DeMars, an adjacent property owner, told the planning commission on Monday she and another nearby landowner weren't informed of a recent community meeting on the project.
Ed Nanney, her attorney, added that the project would introduce "a quasi-commercial" use to the site that is currently vacant.
The Regional Planning Agency staff had recommended the rezoning be denied. It said the proposal wasn't supported by the recommendations of the adopted land-use plan for the area which calls for single- family residential and preservation for the site.
The staff also said the proposal isn't consistent with the development form of the area due to the size of the proposed two-story building located at the top of a steep knoll.
Additionally, the staff said the proposed residential density of 8.7 dwelling units per acre isn't compatible with surrounding densities. But the planners did acknowledge that assisted living facilities typically generate fewer vehicle trips per day than single-family detached neighborhoods of equal density.
According to the facility plan, the proposed entrance to the site would be on Shallowford Road.
Price said no opposition was expressed at a recent neighborhood meeting.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.