Love Where You Live Realty

A developer is looking to add a significant number of new townhomes to a prime North Shore location. But the community has taken a stand against the new development being proposed. ALC Holding, LLC (GreenTech Homes) filed an application with the City of Chattanooga to rezone property located on Franklin at the Ruth Street intersection; requesting a change from R-1 Residential Zone to R-T/Z Residential Townhome Zero Lot Line. The builder’s plan is to add 31 townhomes to this quiet part of the North Shore neighborhood; consisting of single family homes. The property is currently zoned for single family homes.

The biggest impact of the zoning change, of course, is how the change to a high density project will affect neighbors and the community overall. North Shore resident, Beth Santoro, spearheaded a petition asking residents to voice their concerns about the significant and substantive change in density for the zoning change being requested.

Concerns of local residents include the following:

• There is no RT/Z zoning in this area and this rezoning is not consistent with the rest of the neighborhood, which is R-1 Residential.
• The proposed zoning has the potential to add hundreds of new residents, automobiles and guests of residents with extremely high density compared to the current density that exists in our quiet and quaint neighborhood.
• The developer has demonstrated a lack of transparency with local residents.
• The rezoning hearing notification was issued with less than a week’s notice.
• The clear cutting and current grading of this property would create immense sewer, storm water, erosion and runoff problems including overflow of the antiquated sewer system.
• The construction, grading and clear cutting could adversely affect the Sylvan Park bird sanctuary.
• The proposed zoning would create substantial traffic and major parking challenges due to the convergence of 3 extremely narrow streets (25 feet or less). Emergency vehicles would have a difficult time accessing these narrow streets with increased traffic volume.
• There are no sidewalks for pedestrians to travel safely on foot with the increase in through traffic that would be added to neighborhood with this type of zoning change.
• The undeveloped area is adjacent to an intersection where 3 directions of travel converge without a stop sign for any direction of traffic.
• The level of density proposed with this zoning proposal would place a significant burden on an already crowded school system. Normal Park could lose their award-winning Magnet School status with continued overcrowding which will pose a threat to property values across North Chattanooga.
• The quiet residential community would be transformed into a high traffic area difficult navigate safely by foot.
• The natural landscape of the land and contour of the three streets enveloping and converging on the proposed development is a topographical “bowl” which amplifies all of the sounds in the neighborhood.
• Removing the trees from the proposed property would not only create a major erosion issue, but also destroy the natural tree canopy and sound buffer they create.
• Quality of life is one of the major factors drawing people to Chattanooga. Zoning is designed in great part to protect that quality of life. Changing that zoning simply to benefit a developer (no one else would benefit) would be irresponsible and against the public interest.

Ms. Santoro’s petition resulted in 1,224 signatures being obtained voting against the proposed zoning change. A hearing was held on January 8, 2018 with the City of Chattanooga. The city has deferred a decision for 60 days allowing the developer to reconsider and modify their plans. A new hearing for the North Shore Rezoning Request is scheduled for Monday, March 12, 2018 at 1:00 pm in the same location (County Commission Room, Hamilton County Courthouse 4th Floor, 625 Georgia Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37402).