The staff of the Regional Planning Agency is recommending that a new plan for the controversial Hillock Farm (formerly known as Chattanooga Village) at Highway 153 near U.S. 27 be denied.
The Planning Commission is set to hear the new proposal from developer Duane Horton on the Jack Lonas 190-acre tract next Monday at 1 p.m. at the County Courthouse.
The City Council earlier declined to go along with a different version for the major retail, apartments, single-family homes and offices complex.
The report cited the steep topography at the site as well as the condition of nearby roads.
The staff report says:
The applicant is requesting to rezone approximately 190 total acres in
the Hixson area of Chattanooga from its current R-1 Residential zone to
three different zones: an R-3 Residential Zone (approximately 42 acres),
a C-2 Convenience Commercial Zone (approximately 87 acres), and an
R-4 Special Zone (approximately 48 acres). The remaining acreage
(approximately 13 acres) is proposed to remain R-1 Residential as a
buffer between the adjacent single-family residential neighborhoods.
The site plan submitted with the application shows 280 multi-family
residential units proposed for the northern third of the site; a
restaurant with 130 parking spaces located at the center of the site;
250,000 square feet of office space within several two-four story office
buildings located on the eastern side of the site; and 500,000 square
feet of retail with approximately 2,000 parking spaces occupying the
bottom half of the site. The site plan indicates two access points. One
will be from Highway 153 and the other from Stone Ridge Drive. The
conceptual plan also indicates proposed buffers ranging from 30 to 100
feet where the property borders existing residential properties.
The applicant is proposing 39 conditions to address retention of open
space, undisturbed buffers, stormwater management, location of
loading docks, lighting, parking lot landscaping, building height, building
size, residential density and road improvements to address immediate
site impacts.
Site Description
The 190-acre site is located in the Hixson area within the City of
Chattanooga on the eastern side of Highway 153 near its intersection
with Boy Scout Road and US 27. It fronts Highway 153, a major
highway/commercial corridor, and is currently zoned R-1 Residential.
The R-1 Residential zone permits development of a single-family subdivision as well as a school and/or religious facility, or even a golf
course.
There are five small parcels in the southwest corner of the site already
zoned C-2 Convenience Commercial currently and have direct access to
Highway 153. While those five parcels are a part of the development
plan, they are not part of the rezoning request.
The site is bordered on all sides by single-family residential zoning and neighborhoods. Echo Glen subdivision is to the north, Stoneridge to the
south, Long Branch, Northern Lights, and Sunset Point subdivisions are
to the east, and Pine Marr on the west side of Highway 153.
Approximately 40 single-family lots directly share the property line with
the proposed development site. There are approximately 57 acres of
commercial zoning across Highway 153 to the southwest with two
commercial buildings and their parking areas (Kohl’s and Academy
Sports) using about 6 of those 57 acres. There is also approximately 30
acres of C-2 Commercial zoning north of the site between Boy Scout
Road and U.S. 27.
There are several commercial shopping centers located along Highway
153. It is important to note the size of this proposed project as
compared to other existing commercial shopping centers to provide a
better understanding of the proposed scale of this project. There are
several commercial shopping centers located along Highway 153,
although in terms of acreage, the existing shopping centers are not as
large as the proposed development:
• 2011-Proposed Hillocks Farm: 190 acres (87 acres retail, 48 acres
office, 42 acres apartments)
• 2007-The Fountains/Academy Sport/Kohl’s: 60 acres
• 2000-Oak Park Town Center/Walmart: 50 acres
• 2004-Towne Center North/Target: 30 acres
• 1990-Old Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, Kmart: 66 acres
• 1974-Northgate Mall: 70 acres
• 1987- Hamilton Place Mall: 190 acres
The proposed development site is a hilly, predominately wooded site
that drains into the North Chickamauga Creek watershed. As this site is
large and highly visible from Highway 153, it contributes to the scenic
character of the Hixson area.
Zoning History
A rezoning request at this location had previously been submitted in
October 2011 (Case 2011-117) and was withdrawn by the applicant at
City Council. In 2012, another application was made (Case 2012-157) to
rezone the property and was denied by the Chattanooga City Council on
January 22, 2013.
Plans/Policies
Comprehensive Plan 2030- This project is located in the Outer
Suburban Growth Sector of the Comprehensive Plan 2030, adopted in
2006. The Outer Suburban Growth Sector encourages both infill and
new growth, with more specific recommendations by development
type. For business uses, the Comprehensive Plan recommends that
new mixed and multi-use development sites should be located at the intersection of significant thoroughfares and existing activity centers
reused or revitalized as town centers. The Outer Suburban Growth
Sector considers several types of commercial activity centers ranging
from Neighborhood, Community and Regional Activity Centers.
Due to the combined retail, corporate office, and multi-family
programming that is proposed for the site, the overall site should be
classified as a Regional Activity Center. Regional Activity Centers are
defined in the Comprehensive Plan as large-scale, high intensity, and
diverse mixtures of land uses, typically 100 or more acres in size. Due
to their overall size, regional orientation, and traffic generating
characteristics, such centers should have a high level of accessibility,
including public transportation. Regional activity centers should be
located with easy accessibility from interstate/freeway interchanges.
The Comprehensive Plan also recommends good vehicle accessibility
and circulation within Regional activity centers.
The Outer Suburban Growth Sector recommends that any alteration of
natural conditions should respect areas adjacent to the Preserve and
Reserve sectors of the Comprehensive Plan. North Chickamauga Creek,
in close proximity to this proposed development site is classified in the
Development Plan as being located in the Preserve Development
Sector. The Comprehensive Plan recommends the following:
o Protect, conserve, and wisely manage the natural resources of
Hamilton County.
o Encourage responsible development that maintains the quality
and integrity of existing natural resources.
o Conserve forested land.
o Retain the scenic beauty and diverse wildlife of Hamilton
County.
o Encourage development that is sensitive to steep slopes and
additional protective measures where needed.
Hixson-North River Community Land Use Plan- Originally adopted in
2002 and updated in 2004, the Hixson-North River Community Land Use
Plan is driven by the following vision statement adopted by the
community: “To create a place that promotes community accessibility
and a high quality of life for all residents through planned growth that
maintains a visually-attractive and cohesive built environment,
convenient public facilities, strong businesses, and protection of the
natural environment.”
One of the key recommendations of this plan is to: “Maintain a policy of
directing commercial development within the planned nodes and
requiring all new development within those nodes to address
infrastructure impacts and to meet the site design principles outlined by
this plan.“
The following is a list of Hixson Plan Commercial Development Goals:
• Improve the appearance and control impacts of commercial
development.
• Incorporate community amenities into commercial development
• Concentrate or cluster commercial development as opposed to strip
development.
• Re-use vacant commercial buildings.
• Renovate and revitalize existing commercial areas.
• Increase opportunity for more high-quality jobs and business growth
in the area.
• Increase the variety and quality of places to shop and to eat.
The following is a list of Hixson Plan Natural Environment Goals:
• Protect Steep Slopes
• Protect the floodplain & woodlands along streams, particularly N.
Chickamauga Creek
• Protect the Cave Springs recharge area
• Improve storm water control and management
• Keep community clean and free from trash
• Clean up the North Chickamauga Creek bed
• Promote the asset value and usability of our natural areas
• Maintain consistent atmosphere that communicates natural beauty
through better landscaping
• Add more green space and reduce paving/asphalt
The Plan also specifically addresses the site under review as a Focus
Area. The appropriate build-out of the site envisioned by the plan is
contingent on the improvements to the Dayton Boulevard/Highway 153
interchange. The Plan states: “If no intersection improvements are
made to Dayton Boulevard/Highway 153 interchange, this site is most
appropriate for High-Density Residential development. This relatively
dense residential development will increase the traffic significantly at
that intersection but not to the extent that a large commercial complex
would.” The Plan also states: “The Heavy Business Land Use category is
only appropriate if major intersection/interchange improvements are
undertaken by the developer. The amount of traffic generated by a
large commercial development at this site is not only a traffic
generating issue but also a congestion and safety issue on lateral streets
such as Boy Scout Road and Sandswitch Road.”
2035 Long Range Transportation Plan- The Congestion Management
Process (CMP) of the Transportation Planning Organization’s (TPO)
regional 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan, documents that
Highway 153, Dayton Boulevard/Boy Scout Road, and U.S. 27 are heavily traveled corridors. Both U.S. 27 and Highway 153 are projected
to reach or exceed capacity in the next three years and there are no
scheduled or planned roadway improvements between now and 2025
to increase their capacity.
** It should be noted that the current draft 2040 Regional
Transportation Plan (to be adopted this Spring) proposes widening
Highway 153 from a 4-lane section to a 6-lane section from Stone Ridge
to US-27 which is planned to be constructed by the year 2020.
However, the draft plan proposes no improvement to the Dayton
Boulevard interchange.
All land development projects are reviewed by City Engineering &
Water Quality staff, Traffic Engineering & Operations staff, and the Land
Development Office staff. In addition to the requirements of the City of
Chattanooga Zoning Ordinance, all land development is further required
to comply with current City of Chattanooga traffic regulations, building
and development codes, storm water/water quality regulations, and
the landscape ordinance.
All land development projects are reviewed by City Engineering &
Water Quality staff, Traffic Engineering & Operations staff, and the Land
Development Office staff. In addition to the requirements of the City of
Chattanooga Zoning Ordinance, all land development is further required
to comply with current City of Chattanooga traffic regulations, building
and development codes, storm water/water quality regulations, and
the landscape ordinance.
Additional requirements, if needed, are indicated by department below
either as comments or as conditions recommended to be attached to
the final ordinance.
Additional requirements, if needed, are indicated by department below
either as comments or as conditions recommended to be attached to
the final ordinance.
All land development projects are reviewed by City Engineering &
Water Quality staff, Traffic Engineering & Operations staff, and the Land
Development Office staff. In addition to the requirements of the City of
Chattanooga Zoning Ordinance, all land development is further required
to comply with current City of Chattanooga traffic regulations, building
and development codes, storm water/water quality regulations, and
the landscape ordinance.
Additional requirements, if needed, are indicated by department below
either as comments or as conditions recommended to be attached to
the final ordinance.
Immediate Site Considerations
When looking at just the 190-acre site, the adjacent neighborhoods,
and the immediate vicinity, the proposed development plan seems to
address many of the important issues and concerns. The proposed site
plan and conditions provide a mix of uses as envisioned by the
Comprehensive Plan, and the pedestrian orientation of the retail
component combined with more extensive buffering/landscaping
promotes compatibility with adjoining neighborhoods. The
configuration of the buildings to minimize grading along the primary
ridge combined with the proposed recreational open space provides
opportunities to conserve the site’s natural features.
Regarding site accessibility, the proposed site design promotes planned
development of the entire site with controlled access as opposed to
individual strip centers with multiple access points, facilitating the plan
goals of concentrating/clustering commercial development. The
proposed development features one primary access point on Highway
153 and a minor access point at Stone Ridge Drive. The staff would
prefer that the site have another direct access point to Boy Scout Road
to better distribute traffic that would access this development, and to
minimize conflicting turning movements on Highway 153. As stated in
the previous report, the site is not currently served by transit.
The development proposal shows approximately 60 acres, or about 30%
of the site dedicated to green areas and open space. This open space
features community greens, landscaping of the parking lots, including
trees and bioswales, and perimeter buffering is supportive of the
Hixson-North River Community Plan goals to improve the appearance
and control impacts of commercial development, incorporate
community amenities into commercial development.
The proposed site plan with the alignment of buildings along the slope
to minimize grading and the recreational open space along the primary
ridges is consistent with the Hixson Plan objectives for the Natural
Environment (protect steep slopes, promote the asset value and
usability of our natural areas). The applicant indicated in his proposal a
commitment to retain the first 1 inch of rainfall within a 72 hour period
within the commercial/office zones and the use of bio-swales in the
parking lot areas of the site. Finally, the proposed village greens and
natural open spaces would provide added park space. These amenities,
appropriately defined by zoning conditions, will enhance the site’s
existing natural features.
Long-Term and Area Wide Considerations
Good planning practice and decision-making should also consider the
long-term and area-wide implications of decisions, particularly for a
large scale project such as this on community development patterns
and the resulting transportation infrastructure improvement needs. It
should be anticipated that approval of this request will likely lead to
additional commercial/higher intensity development in the immediate
area (there are several large tracts of land currently zoned R-1 that
border the property to the rear, fronting on Boy Scout Road). This
additional development will increase traffic within this area that will
need to be appropriately managed through added street networks,
road capacity improvements, and/or traffic management by the City of
Chattanooga.
It has been documented in the Hixson Area plan that the Dayton
Boulevard/Highway 153 interchange is substandard and needs to be
improved. This was a key consideration identified by the plan when
considering the potential of this site for commercial development.
Currently there are no plans to improve this interchange in the
Chattanooga Capital budget, the Regional Transportation Plan or the
Transportation Improvement Program. This area was also highlighted in
both the current and proposed Regional Transportation Plan, and the
2010 Congestion Management Plan as a congested area.
The only currently planned/programmed improvements for this area
are:
? 2035 Plan: There is only one project planned for the year 2035
in the current Long Range Transportation plan for this section of
Hwy 153 (SR 153 Gothard Rd. to Dayton Blvd. Widening from 4
to 6 Lanes which is planned to be constructed by the year 2035)
? Proposed 2040 Plan (estimated future funds): The proposed
2040 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) expected to be
approved by FHWA, FTA, and EPA by March of 2014 also only
includes the one project in the same section, but with slightly
different termini (Widening from a 4-lane section to a 6-lane
section from Stone Ridge to US-27 which is planned to be
constructed by the year 2020); Transit - Expansion of bus routes
2 and 28 to improve and provide new service to areas along
Hwy 153 from Gadd Road to Northgate Mall, Chattanooga State
Community College and Dayton Blvd/Red Bank (by 2030);
Transit - New Bus-Rapid Transit (BRT) Line Soddy Daisy to Hamilton Place Area servicing U.S. 27 and Hwy 153, Northgate
Mall, the Airport, and Hamilton Place Mall (by 2040)
? Current 2014-2017 Transportation Improvement Program
(committed funding): There are no transportation
improvements in the TIP for this section of Hwy 153.
The most significant of these proposed improvements is the planned
widening of Highway 153 from 4 to 6 lanes (slated to occur in 2020).
However, none of the listed improvements address the Dayton
Boulevard/Highway 153 interchange or adding additional
network/capacity within the local street networks surrounding this site.
The draft 2040 Plan recognizes the need for a more integrated and
multimodal system considering existing congestion and growth. This will
be the first plan to fiscally constrain a number of new transit services
for the region.
It should be noted that the applicant has also proposed
designing/improving the access points to the development site and the
west bound approach portion of the Boy Scout Road intersection.
However, these proposed improvements do not address the limited
road network in the area (mostly two lane roads and limited networks
to distribute traffic), or the Dayton Boulevard interchange. Staff is not
suggesting that the applicant has the responsibility for making these
improvements, only that ultimately the City would need to anticipate
making these improvements to accommodate the consequential
growth in traffic that would occur as development intensifies around
this location.
Compounding these challenges, the steep topography and areas of
floodplain within this area limit opportunities to improve local roadway
capacity or new networks to handle additional traffic that would occur
if this area becomes a commercial center.
Commercial growth in the right location can provide economic growth,
fiscal revenues, and contribute to livability when thoughtful
consideration is given to the short and long-term infrastructure
demands for the area, the impact on critical natural features/systems
and surrounding neighborhoods. The proposed site plan and conditions
do address the immediate impacts to surrounding neighborhoods, and
demonstrates sensitivity to the site’s existing features. However, due to
the limited existing network within a topographically constrained area,
and the fact that current road improvement plans do not account for
improving the Dayton Boulevard – Highway 153 interchange or the local road network that would be impacted by more intense development
patterns fostered by this proposal, the staff recommends denial of this
request.