News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Cookeville Planning Commission voted to deny a rezoning request for a Planned Residential Development (PRD) on East 10th Street.
The PRD would create a 53-lot subdivision of detached and attached single-family homes. It was met with large opposition by community members from the surrounding properties like on Inglewood Drive and Wall Avenue.
Commissioner Jim Stafne said he was impressed with the amount of public input. He said in his 24 years on the commission, the development received a record of 600 petitioners who signed against the proposed PRD.
Many citizens spoke of concerns about high-density development in an area suited for low-density development. Community Member Jeff Jones:
“And in my experience, Planned Residential Development, and certainly Mr. Ward knows more about this than I do,” Jones said. “Is usually used as a transition from one area to another and I’m not sure any landscape buffers such as the berms and the vegetation and the fencing, is going to handle the negative impact of this kind of density.”
Residents also discussed concerns about the impact of having an estimated additional 100 cars on the road. Community Member Jack Gill said it could have negative effects on the already dangerous conditions for pedestrians in the area.
“You look at it from the plot and put it on the existing city plan and it sticks out like a sore thumb, and that’s just on paper,” Gill said. “Can you imagine living next to it? (…) There are a lot of pedestrians, a lot of walkers in the area. Maybe there will be more with the addition of this project but there will also be a lot more vehicles.”
Developer Donnie Suits said he created the design for the development after receiving input from realtors in the area. He said there was a large demand for this kind of development over the last few years.
“For a lot of one-story with garages, a nicer finish. Someone who wants to stay in the same neighborhood and maybe downsize (…),” Suits said. That’s kind of where my goal went for this once I started looking at trying to protect cutting through Ivy Lane, trying to preserve the trees, the buffers, the sidewalks. And we’re 30 plus percent on green space and in a smaller density we would lose that with the setbacks and the green space.”
The commission voted five to two to deny the development. Community Development Director Jon Ward said Suits can appeal the decision to the city council. Ward said Suits can also submit new development designs for the property.
