News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Cookeville Planning Commission has approved a study for three amendments to the city’s subdivision requirements.
Community Development Director Jon Ward said they will be looking into right-of-way dedications, sidewalk requirements, and warranty of improvement fees. Ward said fees need to be updated to keep up with the rapidly increasing cost of development.
“That warranty’s been established for many years in the subdivision regulations,” Ward said. “And we’re looking at amending the subdivision regulations to increase the amount we require for a warranty in case there’s some failure of some component of the infrastructure in a proposed development.”
Ward said they are looking to adjust right-of-way regulations to align them with recent changes to state law. Ward said the sidewalk changes are meant to clarify language about amendments that have already been established due to recent questions about how they work.
“Sidewalk requirements were amended several years ago to require traditional single family detached development along existing public streets to be required to install sidewalks,” Ward said.
Ward said they will bring the amendments to the planning commission in October for a public hearing and potential approval.
“No changes would retroactively impact any approved developments,” Ward said. “All developments are protected with vested rights interests in state law so we don’t change the rules on anybody in the middle of a development process. Nothing going backward, it would just be changes going forward.”
In other business, the planning commission approved the final plats for phase II of the Spring Pointe and Highbury Subdivision development projects. Both plats contain eight lots and are located on East Spring Street and Neal Street respectively.
The commission also approved a variance and final plat for two neighboring properties on South Walnut Avenue to be turned into eight lots. Ward said four lots are set to be single family homes and the other four are eligible to become duplexes if the developer chooses.
A request to rezone two small properties next to one anther on Montgomery Avenue from Medical Services zoning to Local Commercial zoning was also approved by the commission.
