Cookeville council approves first reading to rezone Bill Smith Road parcel from RS-20 to RS-10 amid neighborhood opposition

Cookeville — The Cookeville City Council voted 5-0 on Aug. 7 to approve on first reading Ordinance O25‑7‑11, rezoning a parcel on Bill Smith Road from RS‑20 (low-density single‑family) to RS‑10 (low‑to‑moderate density single‑family). The property, which the planning staff said consists of about 3.68 acres (3.86 acres if including right-of-way), would be eligible for smaller lots if sewer service is extended to the site.

Why it matters: The rezoning would allow greater lot density than surrounding RS‑20 neighborhoods and drew sustained public opposition at the council’s public hearing, where nearby residents raised concerns about traffic, drainage, environmental contamination from past dumping, and precedent for upzoning rural parcels.

Planning staff presented the request and background, saying the applicant has entered a cost‑share agreement with the city to extend sanitary sewer to the area. "The subject property consists of approximately 3.68 acres," planning staff said in the…