City planners defer East Brainerd apartment project

photo Sites of East Brainerd apartment complex proposals

Neighbors protested two proposals for large apartment complexes in East Brainerd at a Monday meeting of city planners.

Developer Ross Bradley with TKD Construction hopes to put up a 262-unit apartment complex at 7608 Shallowford Road. The one, two- and three-bedroom apartments would rent for between $900 and $1,300 a month, he said.

Neighbor Joe Schultz said he was concerned the apartment complex would increase flooding into Shallowford Road. The 14-acre subdivision calls for 18.6 units per acre, which is substantially more than the eight units per acre suggested in the area's development plan.

"We're maximizing the developers' profit to the detriment of existing homeowners," he said. "I don't think that's fair."

Mike Price with M.A.P. Engineers said the apartment complex would include underground drainage and that the unit density was similar to neighboring apartments. Greg Vital, president of Independent Healthcare Properties -- which owns a senior living facility adjacent to the proposed apartments -- said he has some reservations about the plan but was glad Bradley was listening to neighbors' concerns.

"I think this is someone who's trying to do something good, but I don't know if it's in the right place at the right time," he said.

City planners voted to defer the proposal for 30 days, until a stormwater study can be completed.

They approved plans for a similar complex that is planned for 6839 McCutcheon Road, less than two miles away. That 250-unit complex has a proposed density of 15.2 units per acre -- and neighbor Charles Whysong said that's too many.

"We're talking about depositing a small city there," he said. "Plopping down 500 people in there is not going to work."

Planners approved the proposal in part because it is unlikely that the space would be used for a single-family subdivision and the area's development plan calls for residential housing in the spot.

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