Council reviews proposal to expand C‑5 commercial zoning on Tiny Town Road amid traffic and drainage questions

Council members on April 24 heard a planning staff presentation on a rezoning request by William Belew to convert roughly 18.4 acres along Tiny Town Road to C‑5 Highway and Arterial Commercial District, a change the planning staff and the planning commission recommended for approval.

The application would extend an existing C‑5 area to the north, increasing the city’s C‑5 acreage from about 72 acres to about 90 acres. Planning staff said the parcels are part of a larger development area with planned collector roads and a future signal on Tiny Town Road to serve the corridor; staff added the request aligns with the adopted comprehensive plan’s mixed‑use corridor guidance.

Council members pressed staff for details about traffic mitigation, drainage and sinkhole risk. Councilman Haywood noted the planning packet included a 643‑page traffic impact study and asked what the street department means when it says a study was “received, reviewed and accepted.” Street department staff (Smith) said the department verifies existing and projected levels of service, checks trip generation math against accepted guidelines, and coordinates reviews with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT). Smith said TDOT reviewed and verified the study and that the city and developer have met repeatedly with TDOT and the design firm.

Council members asked whether a state signal would be installed by TDOT or be required of the developer. Street staff said signals typically are installed once warrants are met and that applicants sometimes must fund or install required improvements; the city may also establish shared‑contribution arrangements so multiple future developers share the cost.

Council members also asked about drainage and karst (sinkhole) features on the site. Street department staff and planning staff said stormwater detention/retention and water‑quality measures are handled at the site‑plan stage rather than at rezoning; site plans will be required to show detention and retention that protect off‑site properties and local karst features.

Planning staff described an approved preliminary road network for the area that will create internal collector roads and reduce driveway counts onto Tiny Town Road; staff said the parcel’s future development would be expected to use shared driveways and a rear collector road (Calumet Way) to reduce driveway conflict on Tiny Town Road. Council discussion emphasized coordination among developers so intersections can be properly aligned and signalized.

The presentation included estimates that building two new substations and other utility and roadway work are part of broader growth pressures on the city; planning staff noted the property is being marketed for larger retail or commercial users that require deeper building setbacks and larger parking areas. No site plan was submitted with the rezoning application, and staff and council members repeatedly noted that engineering and traffic mitigation obligations would be evaluated when specific project plans are filed.

The planning commission recommended approval; staff recommended approval and identified no adverse environmental issues at this stage. No final council vote on the ordinance was recorded in the transcript of the meeting.

Council members said they would continue to press for developer commitments on signals, alignment of cross‑road access, and stormwater measures during the site‑plan and subdivision review phases.