The Planning Commission on Monday afternoon deferred action on a controversial subdivision proposal on Snow Hill Road and recommended denial for M-2 zoning on Mountain View Road.
County Commissioners Steve Highlander and Jeff Eversole urged the deferral and denial for the Ooltewah projects.
Mike Price said Kenneth and Deborah Scarbrough are in their mid-70s and want to capilalize now on their "nest egg" 37.4-acre property at 6616 Snow Hill Road. He said it is agreed that sewers won't get to the site for up to seven years, but he said a zoning decision should be made now so the Scarbroughs can sell to a future developer.
He said the number of lots for single-family homes has been cut from 122 to 112 and about 25 percent of the property will be left as open space.
Mr. Price said a clubhouse and pool are part of the development.
He said an argument that it would further crowd the schools was not valid, saying county school enrollment has stayed about the same in recent years. He said the home buyers would most likely be retired couples and empty nesters.
Kim Helton said there are already 1,000 homes approved and not yet built in that vicinity, which she said is about double the current residents of the "two-lane, narrow, windy road with no shoulers."
Rodney Spooner said Snow Hill Road is "insanely congested," and Wayne Rich said his main fear is the safety factor. He said the proposed single entryway is "dangerous."
Mr. Price said if there was to be a deferral it should be in line with the unveiling of Plan Hamilton, which provides growth guidance for that area. Officials said Plan Hamilton goes to the Planning Commission in May and the County Commission in June.
The vote was to defer for 60 days.
Brad Brackett of Ragan Smith engineers argued in favor of Manufacturing 2 zoning for two sites owned by John Payne on Mountain View Road near Profitt Road.
He said the property was near I-75 and was basically on a frontage road. He said a 30-foot buffer was planned and the uses would result in less traffic than a residential complex.
He said Mr. Payne wanted to get "the highest and best use for the property," which would be office and warehouse on five acres at 7015 Mountain View Road and RV storage on three acres at 7105 Mountain View Road.
Karen Eaves, who lives nearby, said there was "collective, unanimous, adamant" opposition to the project. She said 481 names were collected on petitions "collected neighbor by neighbor."
Commissioner Eversole said, "I think we have set Proffitt Road as the boundary" between commercial and residential.
Commissioner Highlander said Mountain View Road is "a traffic quagmire. Adding industrial vehicles and equipment will make it even worse."