Council consolidates and approves plan amendment to permit townhome development at 4423 Bald Camp Pike

The City Council voted to consolidate and approve items 9E, 9F and 9G, authorizing a plan amendment and related rezoning work for property at 4423 Bald Camp Pike (Third District). The applicant seeks an amendment from low-density residential to medium-density residential and rezoning from RN-1 to RN-3 as a preliminary step toward a proposed 32-unit townhome development.

Ben Mullins, speaking for developer Alex Badazat, said the proposal would include sidewalks along the property frontage and comply with RN-3 landscaping and stormwater standards. "We're committed ... to an 8 foot privacy fence along the western boundary," Mullins told the council and noted the landscaping buffer requirements of RN-3.

Neighbors raised concerns about drainage and traffic. Adrienne McNaughton, who lives on Kings Moore Drive behind the property, asked about drainage adjacent to the proposed privacy wall and warned that "standing water breeds mosquitoes." Council members pressed the developer on drainage design and whether the developer could extend the privacy fence along Hazelwood Road; Mullins said he had not had authority to commit to that alignment yet.

Council member Parker said drainage for the privacy wall had been raised in a prior meeting and asked that the developer address stormwater so the fence would not create a "dam on the property." Mullins responded that the fence could be constructed to allow water to drain underneath it and that stormwater engineering would be involved.

Mullins noted that if RN-3 is approved, the townhome development would return through a special-use application to planning commission and potentially to the council on appeal. Planning staff recommended approval and planning commission had unanimously recommended the amendment.

The consolidated motion to approve the items passed on a voice vote.