Lebanon council approves wide-ranging zoning, budget and contract measures; four items deferred

Lebanon City Council on an evening meeting approved a slate of zoning map changes, budget amendments, contracts and project ordinances and resolutions and deferred four items at the request of an applicant.

The measures approved included second readings of rezonings and annexation service plans, multiple first readings of ordinances and a range of administrative actions: budget amendments for police and utility projects, a grant contract for park renovations and a number of professional services and engineering agreements. Council also voted to support recommendations from the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) study of the U.S. 70 Bypass (Sparta Pike) corridor and approved a revised contract for the Jimmy Floyd Family Life Center.

Why it matters: The bundle of approvals moves forward street, sewer and park projects, authorizes engineering and design work tied to planned infrastructure improvements, and clears multiple zoning and annexation requests that affect property around Lebanon Road and other corridors. Several items create or amend municipal procedures (for example, a road-excavation permit update and creation of an administrative hearing officer office) that will affect how certain city services are delivered.

Key votes and outcomes (motions listed as on the meeting agenda): - Four items deferred: Order 257166, Resolution 252732, Resolution 252733 and Order 257117 were deferred at the request of the applicant. The mayor announced the deferrals at the start of the meeting. - Ordinance (second reading) 25‑71‑29: Amend the future land use plan for 6879 and 6905 Lebanon Road from FLH2 (residential) to CI (interchange commercial) — approved. - Resolution (second reading) to adopt a plan of services for annexation (referenced with the 25‑20‑7‑304 sequence in the transcript, applicant Andrew Sludlow) — approved. - Resolution (second reading) to add property at 6879 and 6905 Lebanon Road to Ward 6 (referenced as Resolution 252735 in the transcript) — approved. - Zoning atlas amendment (rezoning ~4.24 acres at 6879 & 6905 Lebanon Road to SP) — approved. - Zoning map amendment for property at Hwy 109 N. and Rock Castle Drive (PUD regulations changes; request by Abhishek Yura) — approved. - Cedar Creek townhome specific plan amendments (Highway 109 N.; request by Georgia Capital) — approved. - Amendment to Tree Cover and Protection code (Title 14, Chapter 8, Section 5, add subsection D9) — approved. - Woodall Road extension agreement (first reading; agreement with property owner of tax map 94 parcel 31.08; Georgia Capital) — approved on first reading. - Certificate of compliance/city approval for two retail package stores (1500 Franken Road, Suite C and 1430 West Main Street) applied before prospective change to Title 8 — both approved. - Budget amendment for police department local option fund (Order 25‑71‑51, first reading) — approved. - Grant and contract with Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation for Don Fox Park renovations and splash pad; CEI services and related budget amendment (Order 25‑71‑60) — approved. - Revision of road-excavation permit application and fees (Order 257161) — approved. - Budget amendment for the garage (Order 257162) — approved. - Bids award and contract for the 2024 water system improvements (Project CL23020) and related budget amendments (Order 25‑71‑63) — approved. - Lease agreement with local football and cheer organization for field use (Order 25‑71‑64) — approved. - Amendment to property-maintenance code (Order 25‑71‑65) — approved. - Establishment of an Office of Administrative Hearing Officer (Order 25‑71‑66) — approved. - Resolution 252739: Council voiced support for TDOT’s State Route 25 (U.S. 70 Bypass/Sparta Pike) corridor study recommendations — approved. - Resolution 252740 (revised): Approve a model independent contractor agreement for the Jimmy Floyd Family Life Center — approved (the item was revised and then approved).

Discussion highlights and staff notes: - TDOT Sparta Pike study: City staff reported the study was funded by a TDOT planning grant, included public input (city staff said the project survey received 860 responses) and examined five years of crash data and multimodal safety and freight routing options. Staff urged the council to support including study recommendations in future grant and project work. - Several council members and staff thanked city departments and volunteers for snow‑preparation efforts and reminded residents that city offices would be closed the following day; sanitation pickup was expected to start at 10 a.m. if conditions allowed. - A city staff member and a local applicant (CJ Merle of 615 Design Group) told the council that language issues for agenda items the applicant had previously deferred were resolved and the applicant was available to answer questions on the related agenda items.

What the council did not take final action on: - The four deferred items listed above will return to a future meeting at the applicant’s request.

The meeting proceeded by roll call and voice votes on most items; where a formal mover and seconder were recorded on the minutes those names were read into the record prior to the voice vote. Several items were approved on first reading and will return for a subsequent reading as required by municipal procedure.