News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Cookeville Planning Commission approved the rezoning of a 10-acre tract on South Jefferson and Old Sparta Road Monday night.
The rezoning would change the property from high-density residential to local commercial. Community Development Director Jon Ward said the planning department wanted to rezone the area to a classification that would allow for both commercial and residential development opportunities, and not high-level manufacturing.
“Properties to the north were zoned commercial industrial already, properties to the south were zoned CL local commercial,” Ward said. “It’s just a less intense zoning classification, it allows less intense uses. So it’s compliant with the plan and it’s the lesser intensity zone that would be compliant.”
Several residents spoke out against the rezoning, citing fears of increased traffic and issues with water retention. Resident Sabrina Hoskins said she was also concerned with just what type of development could go on that property.
“When we got the house 14 years ago it was all zoned residential, we moved to that area on the far end of the city because it was residential,” Hoskins said. “We didn’t have that huge risk of bars, liquor stores, who knows what going in beside our family. And that area, and for all the traffic that we have, and the number of safety issues that it raised, I just feel like residential is the best way to leave that property.”
Hoskins said she had gotten a petition of some 40 signatures from residents in the River Bend community who opposed the rezoning.
“Our intent is not to hold the property but to sell it,” Property Owner Katelyn Steakley said. “And for best use for my family, it makes sense to rezone it because that’s been the people that were interested in purchasing it.”
The commission approved the rezoning with a unanimous vote. Chair Jim Woodford said the rezoning will go before the Cookeville City Council next.
