Rutherford County planning commission delays vote on Plan Rutherford after public hearing

The Rutherford County Regional Planning Commission on June 23, 2025, deferred a decision on the draft comprehensive plan known as Plan Rutherford after a public hearing that drew more than a dozen speakers and extended the meeting past two hours.

The commission’s action was taken by voice vote after public commenters raised concerns over housing affordability, proposed character-area densities, water resources and solid-waste policy. Staff and the county attorney will review requested clarifications and proposed edits and return to the commission before the plan is advanced.

Plan Rutherford is a nonbinding comprehensive-plan update that staff and consultants say is intended to guide future zoning, subdivision regulations and infrastructure investments. Director Doug DeMasi told the commission the draft is meant to be a “living document” and stressed that “these proposed actions that you see here are simply recommendations.” The draft updates a plan first adopted in February 2011.

Why it matters: A county comprehensive plan does not itself change zoning, but it frames where denser development, preservation and infrastructure priorities are recommended. Commissioners and residents said the map and recommended character-area densities will influence future rezoning, annexations and development applications.

Public concerns and testimony

Speakers at the public hearing urged different priorities and changes. Chris Jensen, representing the Home Builder Association of Central Tennessee, said the association “does not believe that this plan is viable” as drafted and warned the plan could push affordable housing out of the county. Matthew Stump, a mortgage banker, presented median-income math and said his calculations indicate households at the county median could qualify for homes roughly in the $360,000–$370,000 range, urging the commission to take steps that reduce costs and speed homes to market.

Ashley Sugar, representing the Middle Tennessee Association of Realtors, framed affordability as a central risk: “The typical homeowner has a net worth of $430,000, where the typical renter has $10,000,” she said, arguing the plan will have consequences for who can live in Rutherford County.

Other commenters raised water and soils concerns and asked the plan address solid-waste options more directly. Cynthia Allen, with the Stone River Watershed Association, said the draft does not sufficiently consider groundwater, high water tables and soil suitability for septic systems. Laura Clark urged stronger, local engagement on solid-waste planning and asked the plan to explicitly consider alternatives to landfill expansion.

Staff presentation and technical details

Doug DeMasi and consultants from the Greater Nashville Regional Council (GNRC), including Michael Skipper and Jessica Hill, summarized the outreach and technical work behind the draft: a three-phase process of visioning, scenario-building and strategy that included kickoff events, multiple open houses, work sessions and online surveys. DeMasi cited decadal growth figures used to justify an update: the draft shows an increase of roughly 650 people per month since 2010 (about a 30% increase), roughly 408 jobs per month (about a 37% increase) and about 188 housing units per month (about a 23% increase).

Staff said the original contract for preparing the plan and materials was about $220,000. The draft includes a character-area map that distinguishes Rural Preserve, Rural Living, County Suburban and activity centers and offers illustrative low- and high-end density ranges for those areas (for example, the draft showed a Rural Preserve low end at 1 unit per 15 acres and a higher-end figure of 1 unit per 5 acres, while County Suburban ranged up to several units per acre). DeMasi reiterated that the plan does not mandate zoning changes; implementation requires later changes to land-use regulations.

Commission discussion and action

Commissioners and staff debated several potential edits raised during public comment and at the meeting, including: removing or changing the 15-acre reference in Rural Preserve to a 5-acre baseline (staff noted Tennessee law treats 5 acres as the threshold at which a parcel does not require a subdivision plat), clarifying a proposed housing-affordability action that some commissioners felt was labeled a long-term task despite language calling for near-term work, and whether to allow slightly higher densities at the fringes of Rural Living to help address affordability.

By voice vote the commission approved a motion to defer further action on Plan Rutherford to a later meeting. The motion and second were recorded without maker names in the transcript; staff and the county attorney were asked to meet and return with a recommended path forward and any legal requirements for additional public notice or hearings.

What happens next

County staff and the planning commission will prepare a list of specific edits and legal guidance requested during the meeting and return to the commission at a future date. The county attorney advised that deferral and further review was the safest procedural approach if commissioners want more time to consider edits; staff will coordinate with the chair on timing and whether another advertised public hearing is required under Tennessee law.

For now, Plan Rutherford remains a draft and the public comment period is still active; staff said the document and maps are available on the county website and that residents may submit further written comments to the planning department.

Ending

Commissioners emphasized they want to get the plan “right” and said more work and outreach will continue. The planning commission will set a date for follow-up once staff and the county attorney have reviewed the requested clarifications and drafting changes.