After a six-month hiatus, developers hoping to build a grocery store in the town of Signal Mountain have returned with a revised design for the site.
The changes for the property, located at 617 Cauthen Way, behind the Signal Crossing plaza, were made to address comments and concerns expressed by residents during a public feedback session late last year, said Knox Campbell of the Charlotte, N.C.-based Keith Corporation.
A site plan shows the layout of the proposed grocery with 5.2 acres of undisturbed land behind it that will remain a conservation easement, according to developers. (Contributed graphic)
Renderings for the proposed development at 617 Cauthen Way show what the grocery and Signal Crossings shopping center might look like if The Keith Corporation's rezoning request is approved. (Contributed graphic)One of the concerns residents expressed was the environmental impact the project would have had for the town and nearby homeowners as initially presented.
Instead of asking the town to rezone the entire 8.5-acre lot from low-density residential to highway commercial, Campbell said the new proposal only calls for about 45 percent of the property to be rezoned. The change would leave 5.2 acres of the lot undisturbed, site plans show.
TKC also worked to create an architectural design for the building that would match the town's natural woodland character, Campbell said.
The new proposal shows renovations for the neighboring Signal Crossing shopping center, which TKC also owns. Campbell said the plan is to incorporate all of the properties into one cohesive development and turn the plaza into a town center for Signal Mountain, with plenty of outdoor space and wide sidewalks for outdoor dining.
"One of our goals is to provide a town center that is fitting of the Signal Mountain community," Campbell said in a news release. "Our updated designs are reflective of this special mountain setting."
Campbell said TKC drafted the designs using elements from Signal Mountain's Commercial Districts Vision and Guidelines, commissioned by the town soon after the 2008 Land Use Plan was passed. The 2008 Land Use Plan recommend that a commercial town center be created on either side of Taft Highway between Albert Road and Cauthen Way.
Some of the elements from the Commercial Districts Vision and Guidelines incorporated into the plan are pedestrian crossings and sidewalks, a potential stop light to provide safer traffic patterns, large green spaces, and shade for parking spaces.
The Keith Corporation will present their plans to the Signal Mountain Planning Commission on Thursday, April 5 at 6 p.m.
Residents are encouraged to give their feedback online at TKC's website related to the project, ShoppesAtSignalMountain.com.