Committee approves Pennington Bend specific plan amendment; consent items pass and two items deferred

The Planning & Zoning Committee approved a substitute for a zoning specific plan that will allow 39 multifamily residential units at the corner of Pennington Bend Road and Wood Dale Lane. Council Member Greg presented an amendment that removes a proposed walking trail through a wetlands area and retains the site's tree canopy; the substitute and the substitute as amended were approved by the committee on voice votes.

The committee also advanced several consent‑agenda items en bloc and completed routine votes. The consent agenda included third‑reading bills and resolutions authorizing aerial encroachments and a conservation easement; the chair read captions and, with no items pulled, the consent motion carried.

Two items were deferred for further review: RS 20 25 9 60 (an adjustment to the mixed‑income pilot program) was deferred to the first meeting in May at the request of Council Member Allen so the housing division could align with a unified housing strategy; RS 20 25 10 67 (a preliminary engineering agreement with CSX Transportation to facilitate a bridge replacement on Eastland Avenue) was deferred one meeting at the request of the Planning Department so staff could complete their mandatory‑referral review and allow coordination with Piedmont Natural Gas.

Votes at a glance • Consent agenda — approved (voice vote). Items on consent included RS 20 25 10 70 (2317 Twelfth Avenue South LLC aerial encroachment), RS 20 25 10 71 (VC Restaurant LLC aerial encroachment at 300 Commerce Street), BL 20 25 7 40 (Greenway conservation easement at 3028 Greenwood Drive) and companion zoning bills described on the consent list. • RS 20 25 9 60 (adjustment to mixed‑income pilot program) — one‑meeting deferral to May 6 (moved by Council Member Allen; motion carried by voice vote). • RS 20 25 10 67 (preliminary engineering agreement between CSX Transportation and Metro) — one‑meeting deferral (moved by Council Member Capp; motion carried by voice vote). • BL 20 24 6 24 / BL 20 24 6 25 (Pennington Bend SP and companion) — substitute approved; substitute as amended approved (motion carried by voice vote); final approval in committee carried on voice vote.

Speakers and staff who appeared for these items included Council Member Greg (sponsor of the Pennington Bend SP substitute), Director Darby (codes/legal clarification on demo and procedural matters), and Planning Department Director Lucy Kemp for referral‑review clarifications. Public commenters Lou Anne Brown and Craig Patterson had addressed BL 20 25 7 42 earlier in the meeting and were not part of the Pennington Bend discussion.

Clarifying details: the Pennington Bend substitute removed a planned trail through wetlands and retained tree canopy at neighbors’ request; RS 20 25 9 60 was deferred to May 6 to align with the Planning Department’s anticipated unified housing strategy; RS 20 25 10 67 was deferred one meeting to allow Planning’s 30‑day mandatory‑referral review and coordination over a potential conflict with Piedmont Natural Gas.

Ending: The committee completed its agenda and adjourned; several items will return at the next meetings with requested staff reports or revised language.