Publix grocery has asked for a deferral of a rehearing before the City Board of Zoning Appeals on a planned South Broad Street store.
The appeals board had voted down the variances 5-4, then later agreed to consider the matter again at the January meeting.
The move left one critic of the current grocery store plan to say it could lead to "disaster" and an advocate of the current plan to say forcing Publix to go back to C-2 zoning would be "just stupid."
Jim Johnson, who heads Chattanoogans for Responsible Development, said on Facebook, "Hoping for a win-win: a Publix for the community and an urban-style development that benefits the city.
"My hope: That Publix will do the right thing, as they've done throughout urban and urban-edge settings throughout the Southeast and put in an urban-style development that will promote more employment and provide higher property taxes.
"In the meantime, I don't understand why the developer is deferring.
They had the Board of Zoning Appeals void a vote they made against the v
ariance requests in November, which suggests they felt confident they would win with BOZA in January. I can't help but feel it's a ploy.
"My prediction: The developer is going to try again for rezoning to C2 before the Planning Commission and the City Council, where they feel they are likely to win approval, and which would permit more suburban-style development. This would be a disaster for the entire South Broad corridor and for future responsible development in our city.
"They have also made a subtle hint with their ambiguous wording that Publix is thinking of pulling out entirely. I doubt that is the case, but it plants the seed of fear in decision-makers.
"Remain vigilant."
Garnet Chapin said forcing Publix to go back to C-2 zoning "would be just plain stupid."
He said a plan drawn up by leaders of a St. Elmo group who wanted the project to be built up close to the street "showed buildings completely blocking the view of the grocery. Publix would never go for that, nor should they. That would be the disaster."
Mr. Chapin said, though he is a member of Chattanoogans for Responsible Growth, he "rejects the idea that the Publix as now configured would be bad for the community."