Rezoning three properties on the second and final reading was on the Collegedale Commission’s agenda Monday night. All three passed with no one from the public speaking for or against the zoning changes. The rezoning of a large property at 10517 Lee Highway was changed from C-2 Shopping Center Commercial to AG Agricultural zone. Developer Barry Payne is the developer of what will become a residential neighborhood of 3–5-acre estate size lots.
A gated neighborhood of 30 townhouses will be built at 9015 Jac Cate Road and 5560 Little Debbie Parkway. The council approved rezoning the property from C-2 Commercial shopping center to R-1-T, Residential Zero Lot Line Townhouses. As planned, the units will sell from $500,000-$600,000. The developer will build the roads inside the neighborhood to the city standards and then the Collegedale will maintain them. This is only the second development of townhomes in the city.
The third rezoning approval on Monday night was for 5061 Colcord Dr. Southern Adventist University is planning to build small cottage style homes for student housing at the location that was once a McKee Bakery plant.
Sewer lines were installed when Gabriel Farms, a development of six homes on Tucker Road, was built. The lines have been inspected and on Monday night, they were dedicated to the city of Collegedale and the city accepted them. The sewers and easements are now city property and infrastructure that the city will be responsible for maintaining and servicing.
CPA Stuart Johnson with Johnson, Murphey and Wright gave the commissioners the city’s audit report for 2023. It was a clean report, he said. The city has increased its net position over the last year, largely due to grants and contributions it received, and expenses have stayed about the same as the year before he said. The city has plenty of assets to cover its liabilities, which he said is wonderful to see. The same is true for the general fund and for the individual funds such as sewer and the airport. The exception is the pension fund, but Mr. Johnson said it is out of the city’s control since it is dependent on interest rates and the stock market. One finding was noted with the technology fund that was over budget by $1,700 because a budget amendment had not been done to account for it.
Michelle Toro, assistant city manager and CFO, gave the financial report for November and told the commissioners that at 42 percent of the way through the year, the city has received 24 percent of expected revenue and has spent 45 percent of expected expenditures. She said that is expected and it will change in June, when the city will receive more revenue than it has in expenses.
A discussion about cleaning up unsightly areas in the city, took place at the Dec. 4 commission meeting. One of those areas of concern is a parking lot in front of Rite Aid which is no longer in business, large trucks have started parking there overnight. Since that meeting, Mayor Morty Lloyd has been in contact with the property manager. “No Overnight Parking” signs will be put up, and the Collegedale Police will enforce it.
The next regularly scheduled commission meeting has been cancelled since it falls on New Years Day. The next commission meeting will be held on Tuesday January 16 at 6 p.m.