An old borrow pit in northern Hamilton County could become a neighborhood of 118 single-family homes.
The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission on Monday, Oct. 12, recommended approval of a rezoning for 1815 Dallas Lake Road, Chattanoogan.com reported. The request would change the 63.1-acre property from A-1 Agricultural to R-1 Single-Family Residential and allow a planned unit development, or PUD. The site is near Hamilton County Memorial Park.
The case is a Hamilton County zoning matter, filed as HCZA-26-10 for the rezoning and HCZA-26-11 for the PUD special permit. The planning commission's vote is a recommendation. The final decision comes later from the county's elected officials.
What is planned
According to the planning commission's October agenda packet, the land is vacant and has been used as a borrow pit, where dirt is dug out for fill on other projects. It borders single-family homes, a cemetery and undeveloped land. Access is directly from Dallas Lake Road.
The applicant, engineer Michael Price, filed the request on behalf of owner Matthew Hamilton. The narrative in the packet describes 118 detached single-family homes at about 1.87 homes per acre. Lots would range from 45 to 65 feet wide. The preliminary site plan breaks that down as:
- 51 lots in the 45- to 50-foot range
- 63 lots in the 60- to 65-foot range
- 4 lots at 58 feet wide at a 25-foot front setback
The current A-1 zoning requires lots at least 60 feet wide where sewer is available. The narrative says the site has public sewer access, which is why the narrower lots need R-1 PUD zoning. It also argues the subdivision fits because the site is about three-quarters of a mile from a possible future town center shown on Plan Hamilton's conceptual land use map for the area.
The packet says about 30 acres, or roughly 48% of the site, would be community space. At the meeting, Price told commissioners more than 40% would stay community property, according to Chattanoogan.com.
Staff also noted the property was rezoned from A-1 to R-1 once before, in 1997. Staff said the request matches the Plan Hamilton "Suburban Residential" place type, which calls for mostly low-intensity, single-family development.
The conditions
Planning staff recommended approving the rezoning outright and approving the PUD with four conditions:
1. Keep a 30-foot tree buffer along Dallas Lake Road and around the whole property. 2. Develop a steep-slope policy for slopes greater than 25%. 3. Complete a traffic study. 4. Add a turn lane for safety on the two-lane road, since the development would have more than 100 homes and one entrance and exit.
Price asked commissioners to ease some of those conditions, according to Chattanoogan.com. He wanted the steep-slope rule to apply only at 33% and above, and a 10-foot tree buffer instead of 30 feet. The report did not say which version of the conditions the commission adopted.
Staff noted that approving the PUD covers only the initial concept plan. Roads, utilities, buffers, detention ponds, easements and sewer will be reviewed later during platting, along with building and fire codes.
Why it matters for Contractors
A 118-lot subdivision is a multi-year job. Before the first house goes up, there is a long list of site work: clearing, grading, roads, sewer and water lines, stormwater ponds and a turn lane on Dallas Lake Road if the condition stays.
The former borrow pit adds its own challenge. Staff lists the site's current use as a borrow pit, and the 25% versus 33% slope debate shows that grading and steep ground will shape how many lots actually work. Site contractors and engineers should watch how that condition is settled, because it could change the earthwork, retaining walls and lot count.
The lot mix matters for homebuilders, too. Fifty-one of the 118 lots, about 43%, are 45 to 50 feet wide, which usually means narrower house plans and tighter side yards. Most of the rest are 60 to 65 feet wide. Staff also stressed that zoning approval covers only the use, not building, fire or other code approvals, so each home will still need its own permits.
No homebuilder has been named. The next steps are the county's final vote and then platting, where the engineering details get worked out.