News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Cookeville Planning Commission approved a Planned Residential Development Rezoning (PRD) Request last night for an 11-acre property on West 9th Street and North Franklin Avenue.
Developers are wanting to build a 160 unit student housing development on that site, but a large group of surrounding residents oppose the project.
Only two commissioners voted no on the rezoning request.
Vaughn Bernard has lived in Mount Vernon Estates for more than 33-years and said he didn’t like the idea of having three large buildings and 470 cars near his home.
“These developers show up and buy this odd piece of land and have decided that they can improve our neighborhood by putting in a college dormitory,” Bernard said. “They think this will make our lives better. We ask that you hold these developers to a higher standard. Create more single family housing that will fit our neighborhood and help protect the integrity of our neighborhood.”
Other concerns from residents involved potential noise and lighting issues that could come from the development and higher traffic volumes.
The PRD zoning district is intended to provide a significant level of protection for nearby properties and the property being developed.
“It has extensive requirements for setbacks and screenings and it also requires that the developer submit a plan and to go by that plan,” Cookeville Planning Department Director James Mills. “It’s the only district we have, other than the RAO, that requires that you follow a specific plan.”
So far, the developers preliminary plan for the development has met those requirements in the PRD zoning and they even conducted a traffic study to gauge potential effects. The traffic report indicated that the development would have minimal impact on the surrounding street system.
“This indication is partially derived on the basis that the residents of the proposed development would be basically living on campus and not commuting to the university,” Mills said.
Six of the eight planning commissioners ultimately voted to approve to the rezoning request, which will now head to the city council for a vote.
“We have been talking about this informally for quite a while in order to get an idea on how it would impact you and the city,” City Councilman and Planning Commissioner Jim Woodford said. “The city is growing. One of the things we try to do here at planning is deal with growth and change, which is difficult. A lot of people don’t like it, but it happens. We are not here to reward or punish people.”
