Rutherford planning commission approves Birches Farms preliminary plan amid new county–developer cost‑sharing talks

The Rutherford County Regional Planning Commission on a recorded vote approved preliminary plans for Birches Farms, a proposed subdivision on roughly 713 acres that would create about 600–633 buildable lots and dedicate a 3.21‑acre lot for emergency services, and agreed to pursue a county–developer participation agreement to share costs for off‑site road improvements.

The plan matters because the development’s traffic study identifies off‑site intersection upgrades that the applicant says will require additional right‑of‑way and construction work beyond the property lines. Commissioners, staff and the applicant spent most of the meeting discussing how those off‑site costs and right‑of‑way acquisitions will be divided, how the county will budget for its share and whether the process can be used as a template for future projects.

Planning staff presented the preliminary plan and told commissioners that from a zoning and subdivision‑regulation standpoint the plat meets requirements. Staff also flagged the traffic study as the central outstanding issue. Doug DeMasi, planning staff, said, “So this is not a rezoning application, this is a conventionally zoned development.” He told the commission the plan contains lots sized to meet existing RM and RL zoning districts and that staff will continue technical review during construction plan stages.

The applicant’s presentation described the subdivision as a mix of lot sizes and amenities. Jamie Reid, the applicant’s engineer with SCC, said the plan “gives us three price points” in the development and noted the project includes 522 RM lots (15,000 square‑foot minimum), 84 RL (one‑acre) lots, about 20 open‑space lots, wastewater capacity and a central amenity area. Reid described preliminary contractor pricing and said the team had estimated construction costs for on‑site and certain off‑site items.

The applicant and its attorney framed the off‑site work as collaborative.…