A Hamilton County planning panel on Monday approved nearly 400 new residential sites, with more than half of those in the hot East Brainerd market.
"It's still an area people want to live and work," said Mike Price of MAP Engineers, who represented a pair a developers in receiving the OK for a zoning change and special permit for the proposed projects.
Iron Horse Properties plans to put up 174 townhouses in the Pinewood Drive and Gunbarrel Road area and the proposal drew approval from the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission.
Price said the units could be rental or for sale, depending on market conditions.
He expects work to start in 2022 and it could take from two to two-and-a-half years to finish the project. The rezoning change and special permit needs to be approved by the Chattanooga City Council.
In addition, the planning commission endorsed a 44-unit townhouse project by G.T. Issa Premier Homes for three lots in the 1600 block of Jenkins Road.
Price said work on those units is expected to start in 2022 as well. Those townhouses are expected to sell for about $400,000 each, though the prices could change, he said.
Last month, some 300 East Brainerd residents, many fed up with clogged roads and worried about over- development, met with key city, Hamilton County and state officials.
"We understand we're growing too fast," Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger told residents at Morris Hill Baptist Church, adding the Tennessee Department of Transportation has to address some of the problems. "We need to continue to work together."
According to county planners at that time, as many as 1,100 more residences already were approved in the East Brainerd area.
Also on Monday, Pratt & Associates won the OK for the rezoning of a tract on the 7200 block of Snow Hill Road in Ooltewah for 174 single-family homes.
Ian Blackmore of Pratt said work is to start in the spring 2022 on the project. The rezoning will require approval by the Hamilton County Commission.
Hamilton County is seeing a shortage of listings for homes compared to prior years.
Darlene Brown, owner of the firm Real Estate Partners in Chattanooga, said last month that there are only 471 single-family homes listed, compared to 2,050 a year ago and 3,030 two years ago.
Also in July, the Hamilton County Commission approved a move to shrink lot sizes for new single-family homes and boost density in future subdivisions.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.