Nearly 400 more apartments planned in fast-growing Ooltewah as some worry about traffic, development

Staff photo by Mike Pare / A sign shows new apartments coming to Hawthorne at The Crest off Apison Pike in Collegedale with construction of the units in the background.
Staff photo by Mike Pare / A sign shows new apartments coming to Hawthorne at The Crest off Apison Pike in Collegedale with construction of the units in the background.

Nearly 400 new apartments are planned for the Ooltewah area as a pair of developers seek to fill the demand in that fast-growing part of Hamilton County.

The two projects, each not far from Interstate-75's Ooltewah exit, will total about $45 million, said Mike Price, president of MAP Engineers.

"There is a demand," he said. "Everything...in terms of current apartments all seem to be leasing."

Price said work on a 250-unit complex is expected to start next spring at Hunter Road and Hilltop Drive. That project, which will face the interstate, is planned by an out-of-town developer, according to MAP Engineers.

Zoning is in place for those apartments, Price said about that $30 million project.

Meanwhile, new zoning will be sought on Monday before the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission for a 9.5-acre parcel at Amos and Ooltewah-Georgetown roads.

Regional Planning Agency documents show that rezoning is sought from A-1 Agricultural to R-3 Residential for a 144-unit apartment complex. The site plan shows a clubhouse, pool and dog park, according to the agency.

The agency's staff is recommending approval of the rezoning, saying it's compatible with the area plan and adjacent land uses. But staff recommended a landscape buffer to protect adjacent single-family dwellings to the north of the proposed development from nuisances.

Price said work likely will start on that apartment complex by local developer Lyons Group in 2022.

One exit south at I-75 and Apison Pike, work is well underway on another apartment complex. Just down Apison Pike, another existing apartment complex is expanding.

Also, in August, Chattanooga developer 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.

But this summer, some 300 residents in the East Brainerd area adjacent to Ooltewah-Collegedale complained about clogged roads and over-development to key city, county and state officials.

"We understand we're growing too fast," Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger told residents at a Morris Hill Baptist Church meeting at the time, adding the Tennessee Department of Transportation has to address some of the problems. "We need to continue to work together."

According to county planners, as many as 1,100 more residences already are approved in the East Brainerd area. Some people are concerned about over-development and traffic issues spilling into the Ooltewah-Collegedale and Apison areas.

Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318. Follow him on Twitter @MikePareTFP.

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