Middle Tennessee State University has cleared a planning milestone in Shelbyville. Jamie Brewer, a campus planning representative for Middle Tennessee State University, asked the Planning Commission to approve a multi-building site plan for academic and flight operations on about 20.8 acres near the municipal airport. The commission approved the site plan by roll-call vote.

Staff told the commission the rezoning to the I-1 (industrial) zone takes effect the next day and that the application meets the I-1 development and design standards, including architecture, landscaping and parking. The staff presentation said the project includes a flight operations center and a maintenance hangar and will require demolition of an existing vacant residence and accessory buildings on the parcel.

Why it matters: the site will host university flight operations adjacent to the airport and will change traffic patterns at the parcel entrance. Staff accepted the project's traffic study and said a traffic signal at the driveway will be required at build-out.

Staff said the required traffic signal will be installed with phase 1 build-out and that it is not necessary to have it in place at the moment construction starts. The presentation said the signal will run concurrently with phase 1 and is expected to be completed by the time the phase reaches occupancy. Staff also said wetland permitting is still under review.

At the public hearing, no conditions were placed on the approval. A motion to approve the site plan “as presented” passed on a roll-call vote; the minutes record affirmative votes from Commissioner Moholy, Commissioner Tyler, Council member Blevins, Commissioner Peay, Chairman Landers, Commissioner Hill and Mayor Carroll.

The commission’s action approves the site plan and does not itself rezone other parcels or finalize construction permits. Building permits, final engineering and permitting (including any wetland approvals) will be required before construction and occupancy.

Less urgent details: staff displayed proposed landscaping and elevations and said the plan complies with local design guidelines. The traffic-signal timing and final construction schedule were not specified beyond the staff statement that the signal will be installed by occupancy of phase 1.