Rutherford County planning panel defers Kittrell Glen preliminary plan over traffic, drainage, safety questions

The Rutherford County Regional Planning Commission on May 27 deferred preliminary approval of Kittrell Glen, a proposed single-family subdivision on about 150.2 acres, after commissioners and staff said outstanding traffic, drainage and site-safety questions must be addressed before the project advances.

Planning staff said the project meets minimum lot-size standards for the property's RM zoning (15,000 square feet minimum) but highlighted unresolved issues including the need for a road safety audit at several intersections, a more detailed drainage plan showing easements rather than arrows, and potential springs or cave features near Lot 19 that require further investigation.

Doug DeMasi, planning staff, summarized the proposal and noted the developer intends to use a step system for sewage disposal and that the primary entrance would be on Baxter Road with a secondary connection at Upperglade Court. "Most of our comments have been addressed," DeMasi said, but he turned the technical concerns to the county's engineering review.

County engineering staff (identified in the meeting as Mike) said a third-party traffic consultant generally agreed with the developer's traffic-impact study but recommended a road safety audit because the surrounding roads are largely rural and several intersections have limited sight distance. Mike pointed to the Baxter–Ringwald and Craner–Ringwald areas as locations with restricted visibility and said the audit should identify low-cost mitigations such as signage, clearing fence rows, pavement markings or other measures per the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

Commissioners pressed the timing and scope of the audit. Commissioner Michael Shirley asked, "Can you explain the difference between a traffic study and a safety audit?" Mike replied that a traffic study projects traffic volumes and levels of service, while a road safety audit is a boots-on-the-ground review to identify sight-distance and roadside obstacle hazards and mitigation steps.

Developer representative Matt Taylor of SCC told the commission the team would accelerate the studies if the commission preferred seeing them before final approval: "We would probably volunteer or deferral. We'll bring some extra drainage study back for Mike and we might just go ahead and accelerate the safety audit. It's something we're going to do anyway." Taylor offered to provide the additional drainage information and to advance the safety audit into the earlier review phase.

Commissioners also discussed recurring flood issues on Craner Road and the project's relationship to FEMA-mapped 100-year floodplains; county staff showed FEMA floodplain maps and noted locations where Craner Road is frequently closed by high water. Staff said the eventual Baxter Road connection could provide an alternative route during closures.

After discussion, a commissioner moved to defer action so the developer could supply a full drainage plan, the road safety audit, and other materials requested by staff. The motion was seconded and the roll call recorded unanimous agreement; the commission deferred action on the preliminary plan.

The commission instructed staff to return the item when the developer supplies the requested safety audit, an expanded drainage plan including easement delineations, and any geotechnical or hydrologic findings about springs or cave features that could affect lot layout.