Commission approves minor final for Cathy Ridge Road property; applicant and staff note delays in soils testing

The Planning Commission on July 22 approved a minor final subdivision for property at 5783 Cathy Ridge Road owned by Samuel Kehoe. Kehoe (presenting the plat) told the commission the site has an existing house with an existing septic on Lot 2, a Lot 3 that is over 5 acres and other smaller lots; several of the lots were created under rules that predate the county's recent 5-acre minimum. Kehoe and staff said the application was filed before a county rule change took effect, and the process was delayed while soils work was completed. Kehoe described long waits to obtain soil-site reports, saying county-area soil scientists are very booked: "It takes forever to get soil stuff back from from the time that you can actually get on their books," he said. He named Tim Baxter as an example of a local soil professional who is heavily booked; staff said some reviewers from Cookeville and Fayetteville now cover the region because of high demand. County staff (Kirk/Kurt referenced) confirmed the submission met applicable requirements. Commissioner Henry Anderson moved to approve the minor final; Laura Vasquez seconded the motion and the commission approved the plat on voice vote. Why it matters: The approval allows the owner to divide the property, preserve an existing dwelling served by an on-site septic system, and record the new lots. Commissioners flagged the regionwide slowdown in soil-site reviews as a cause of application delays. The planning commission's approval was limited to the plat before it; any future divisions will need to comply with the county's zoning and subdivision standards in effect at the time of filing.