Planners recommend denial of $100 million Chattanooga project

The latest proposal to build a $100 million apartment and commercial project off Highway 153 is receiving a thumbs down from Chattanooga planners.

The staff for the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency is recommending that zoning changes be denied for the Hillocks Farm mixed use development.

The staff report said that proposed road improvements at the Highway 153 and Boy Scout Road area do not address the limited road network.

"Staff is not suggesting that the applicant has the responsibility for making these improvements, only that ultimately the city would need to anticipate making these improvements to accommodate the consequential growth in traffic that would occur as development intensifies around this location," the report said.

The staff said that, compounding those challenges, the steep topography and areas of flood plain within this area limit opportunities to improve local roadway capacity or new networks to handle additional traffic that would occur if this area becomes a commercial center.

Scenic Land Co. is seeking the rezoning to build Hillocks Farm, which is the new name given to the proposed development which was called Chattanooga Village.

Developer Duane Horton and landowner Jack Lonas had been meeting with local nearby residents and other in an effort to make changes to the proposed project that would build 280 apartments along with about 700,000 square feet of retail and office space.

Last year, the City Council turned back the Chattanooga Village proposal.

See Wednesday's Times Free Press for full story.

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