Developers have ended their battle to persuade Signal officials to rezone the tract of land at the corner of Albert Road and Taft Highway from low-density residential to office, the town learned Tuesday.
“Just as an FYI for those interested,” Mayor Chris Howley noted on his blog, Friends of Chris Howley, “Bob Elliott with Noon Development has withdrawn the request to rezone the lot at Albert Rd.
and Taft Hwy.”
The one-sentence announcement contained no explanation for NoonDevelopment’s decision to drop their request for rezoning of 1403 Taft Highway, which would have paved the way for construction of a 12,000 square foot office complex and a parking lot for more than 50 vehicles on the site.
In March the request won approval on first reading from town council members, who voted 3-1 to approve it. It was scheduled to come up for a second and final vote at the council’s regular July 9 meeting.
Initial approval came despite vigorous opposition from residents who pointed out that Signal has a variety of commercial properties sitting vacant -- some of them for years -- which opponents said is a clear indication that a new large office building is not needed.
Further, they noted, Albert Road is the boundary of the town’s commercial district. Allowing nonresidential development to cross that street into a residential neighborhood would violate Signal’s land use plan, they contended, and set a precedent for further encroachment into residential areas.
“The land use plan map clearly shows the commercial district running along Taft is between Cauthen Way and Albert Road,” rezoning opponent Mary Hudson wrote on League of Signal Mountain Voters, the blog maintained by former Signal Mayor Paul Hendricks. “To expand beyond Albert Road can only be viewed a spot zoning by the owners of the adjacent residential properties . . . If this rezoning is approved, four neighboring undeveloped lots facing Taft and Miles (Road) will be up for rezone next, and then across Miles up Taft as far as the town limits at James (Boulevard) could follow.”
Among the most impassioned opponents to Noon Development’s proposal was Rosemary Varner, who said in a lengthy letter to the editor that she owns and has lived almost 38 years at 607 Albert Road, which shares a 285-foot property line with 1403 Taft.
During that time, she said, she has known and liked the current owners of the adjoining property, and “considered them to be good neighbors.”
“I don’t want to sell,” Mrs. Varner wrote. “I don’t want to move.”
However, she continued, “The proposed rezoning of the property adjoining hers would result in the replacement of (her neighbors’) home and property with an office building, a 50+ vehicle parking lot and a dumpster.
“My bedroom, which is slightly below ground and on the side of the house facing Taft Highway, would be approximately nine feet away from such a development, including but not limited to my bedroom window. .
One of the reasons she moved to Signal, Mrs. Varner’s letter to the editor noted, “was that the town prided itself on the limitations placed on development. Something I certainly never thought I would have to worry about is a large office complex with a huge parking lot, light poles and a dumpster nine feet away from my bedroom. No one would want to live immediately next to something like this. I certainly don’t.”