Council approves Sewerts Landing mixed‑use plan with apartments, green space and TIF support

Smyrna’s Town Council approved a Planned Unit Development amendment and rezoning for the Sewerts Landing mixed‑use project on Sam Ridley Parkway West after an extended discussion about residential density, project viability and the development’s tax‑increment financing arrangement. The vote followed presentations from planning staff and the developer and passed by a council majority.

Council members debated whether converting previously proposed for‑sale units to rental apartments would oversupply the local market. Several council members said they were uneasy about more apartments along the Sam Ridley corridor, while others argued that on‑site residents increase foot traffic and sales tax revenue that sustain retail and restaurants. Planning staff and the developer presented renderings showing office, retail, hotels and multiple apartments above retail, and said the design included significantly more public green space.

The developer told council that the project team reduced the commercial grocery anchor from the larger box that had previously been considered and “restructured” the TIF. Land Elliott of Equitable Property Company introduced the team and the visual model and said the project “went from 1 acre to just over 6 acres of green space when we asked for the apartment units.” The applicant also described a revised tax‑increment financing (TIF) projection of roughly $20.7 million in incremental property tax dollars over the TIF term and presented a benefit‑to‑cost ratio the consultant estimated at about 6.45 to 1.

Planning staff had recommended approval with conditions addressing nonresidential design, signage and additional detail for public plazas and recreation amenities. The planning commission recommended approval with conditions earlier in the month. During the council discussion, staff and the developer outlined traffic mitigation already permitted with the Tennessee Department of Transportation, including a right‑turn lane and signal coordination that the developer said would be coordinated with Motlow State Community College.

Opponents who contacted council worried that the rental product would increase apartment inventory in a corridor that already has many rental units; staff cited a roughly 5% vacancy rate across multifamily properties and noted the town’s higher overall rental share versus owner‑occupied housing. Supporters pointed to projected sales tax generation and the development’s potential to activate the corridor and attract destination retail and dining.

Council approved the PUD amendment and rezoning as presented. Conditions attached by the planning commission — additional signage detail, design‑review compliance for nonresidential elevations and further layout information for plazas and recreation — remain part of the record. Staff will continue to coordinate permit review, the TDOT right‑of‑way work and the developer’s construction phasing. The council vote was taken after the public hearing and a developer presentation; the motion passed and the items will proceed to permitting and final design work.

The project now moves to detailed design and permitting stages; council members asked staff to monitor downtown infrastructure and to include the developer in future coordination meetings related to traffic and public safety.