Delay over for disputed project at intersection of East Brainerd and Ooltewah-Ringgold roads

photo Sabrena Turner-Smedley
photo Site of proposed development at the intersection of E. Brainerd Road and Ooltewah-Ringgold Road.

After six months of deliberation with residents, ANT Group developer Sam Issa will get his project at the intersection of East Brainerd and Ooltewah-Ringgold roads.

Hamilton County commissioners on Wednesday unanimously approved Issa's 51-acre commercial project - to be named the Enclave at East Hamilton. It's the end of the beginning for the development that has been the subject of 16 community meetings and several reboots since early June.

Commissioner Sabrena Smedley, who represents the East Brainerd community, said the project as first proposed had "significant opposition."

Originally, the Enclave was to be a mixed-use development with 250 luxury apartments. But surrounding residents rejected apartments in an area of mostly single-family housing.

Eventually Issa and the neighbors were able to come to terms - after developing a laundry list of special conditions Issa would have to follow.

"I think the development now will be something the community will actually be proud of and embrace," Smedley said.

The project came out of the Regional Planning Commission with 15 special conditions, but County Public Works Administrator Todd Leamon said the county could only enforce 10. The extra five were architectural or design requirements and the county doesn't have a design review board, Leamon said.

But Issa still will be responsible for the design standards because he has signed a legal agreement with the community development committee, Smedley said.

Even after spending more than $70,000 just designing and redesigning the project, Issa said he was pleased with the community involvement.

"As someone who lives within two blocks of the proposed site, I appreciate the attention to detail given by the committee for the Enclave," he said in a prepared statement Wednesday. "It makea the project better as I market it to potential tenants; but more importantly it makes it a better fit for the neighborhood."

The project will be built in four phases over several years. Issa is meeting with retailers and expects to have construction started sometime in 2015, according to Robin Derryberry, co-owner of Derryberry Public Relations, who was hired by the ANT Group. Derryberry said doors will open in phase one as early as 2016.

Contact staff writer Louie Brogdon at lbrogdon@timesfreepress.com, @glbrogdoniv on Twitter or at 423-757-6481.

Upcoming Events