Despite objections from several neighbors, the site for a 260-unit, affordable-housing apartment building proposed for Alton Park got unanimous approval for rezoning Monday.
The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission agreed to rezone a 13.36-acre site at at the old Frank H. Trotter School site at Central Avenue and West 51st Street from a manufacturing zone to a residential district to allow for development of The Reserve at Mountain Pass. The $40 million project is proposed by LDG Development LLC, a multi- family housing developer and owner based in Louisville, Ky.
Single-family housing would be a better choice for the site, several neighbors told planning commissioners, suggesting the land would be better used for individual homes, a career center or even a new school.
"We would rather see single- family home dwellings," said Cornelia Williams. "You're putting in $40 million in this complex, why not use this money more wisely and put in a career center?"
Neighbors also voiced concerns about potential crime from the tenants, since the proposed apartment complex would allow use of Section 8 housing vouchers.
Also, a representative from Gold Coast Fats and Oils LLC., just north of the proposed apartments, raised concerns about how residents might react to odors from the plant.
"I would say to me it's not an unpleasant odor; but it's a distinct odor," the company employee said. "We have a concern of a residential property being adjacent to ours."
Local real estate agent Joe Pleva, director of KW Commercial, told planners there was demand for manufacturing use of the property, but he thought the apartments were better.
"I thought it was great thing for Alton Park," Pleva said.
LDG Development representative Evan Holladay said the company has 5,500 units in Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, Kansas, Texas and Louisiana., and got interested in Chattanooga while developing a complex in Nashville.
"We saw the tremendous growth of jobs and that's what brought us down [to Chattanooga]," Holladay said after the meeting.
The proposed Alton Park apartments will be gated and monitored by video camera, he said, and the company would provide security, if needed.
"It all depends on the site; we usually don't need to," Holladay said.
The proposed apartment complex still needs approval from the Chattanooga City Council.
Contact staff writer Tim Omarzu at tomarzu@timesfreepress.com or www.facebook.com/MeetsForBusiness or on Twitter @meetforbusiness or 423-757-6651.