Bartlett board approves Union Depot mixed‑use expansion, 4‑2, after hours of public comment

The Bartlett Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted 4‑2 to approve Resolution 19‑25, granting a special‑use permit for a mixed‑use residential development on roughly 34 acres at the northeast corner of Highway 70 and Highway 64.

Supporters said the project would add retail and grocery options and broaden housing choices; opponents warned the development could strain schools, increase traffic and encroach on the Little Bears preschool playground. The board accepted multiple changes the developer offered, including unit caps, additional buffers and limits on building height.

The developer and planning staff described the revised proposal as three connected districts: a Mixed‑Use Lofts district with ground‑floor retail, a Village district limited to townhomes and single‑family products, and a Marketplace district intended for a grocer and commercial uses. The developer said a grocer is under contract for the Marketplace parcel but declined to identify the tenant because of a confidentiality agreement.

Why it matters: Board members cited competing priorities — preserving Bartlett’s “small‑town” character and protecting school and neighborhood capacity while expanding the city’s retail tax base and housing options. The vote followed nearly two hours of public testimony and a detailed presentation by the applicant and the project economist.

What the board approved: As revised in response to public comment and staff review, the project now: caps multifamily units at 360; limits building heights in the multifamily areas to three stories; removes a separate “flats” district that would have allowed taller apartment blocks; prohibits second‑story balconies facing the northern property line; and establishes a minimum 30‑foot landscape buffer along the northern boundary that…