Chip Henderson speaks with opponents to project at The Quarry
Facing a large crowd of opponents at the Planning Commission, development plans for tracts at Mountain Creek and North Chattanooga were shot down on Monday afternoon.
Developer James Pratt said he was withdrawing plans to redevelop The Quarry golf course on Read's Lake Road. City Councilman Chip Henderson, who has been working with the opposition group, said there still could be development based on current zoning of R-1 and C-2. He said apartments are allowed in C-2.
Councilman Henderson said he did not know if it would be legal to downzone the property to a C-1 designation that does not allow apartments.
The commission voted unanimously against a proposal by former City Councilman Chris Anderson and his GreenTech firm on a steep 11.5-acre tract at Knickerbocker Avenue and Notting Hill. The final decision will be by the City Council.
Attorney Joe DeGaetano, who lives across the street on Knickerbocker said the developers were trying to "shoehorn in" as many homes on Knickerbocker and townhouses on the hill above as they could. He said the plans were incompatible with the single-family neighborhood.
He said the project was "certainly out of character with the neighborhood."
Garnet Chapin said GreenTech was known on other projects for "clearcutting so that no living plant is left on the site."
Keith Weathers said he had fought similar development proposals on the property. He said, "Our community has suffered from over-development long enough."
Rocky Chambers, engineer on the project, said the group wanted to place "a few" townhomes on the hill. He said the houses on Knickerbocker would not be right up against one another, but would have 10-foot gaps in between.
Plans for The Quarry had included 25 single-family home lots on two cul-de-sac roads near the clubhouse, 10 apartments, 60 townhomes and four single-family lots in a middle section, and 24 townhomes, 16 apartments and five single-family lots at the south end.
Chris Anderson and Rocky Chambers