Coffee County planning commission approves 39-lot Old Airport Road subdivision after hours of public opposition

The Coffee County Planning Commission voted Jan. 28 to approve a preliminary plat for a 39-lot subdivision on Old Airport Road after more than an hour of public comment opposing the project.

Nicholas Northcutt, of Northcutt Surveying, told the commission he was hired by the property owner, identified in the application as Mr. Graham, to survey and prepare the plat. Northcutt said the applicant has completed topographic, soil and initial traffic studies and had worked with the codes department to address preliminary items.

The vote follows public remarks from nearby residents and farmers who urged denial or additional study. Quinn Sullivan said the parcel contains an unmarked cemetery and told the commission, “by state law, you cannot sell that property,” adding that she does not see markings “of that cemetery.” Terry Floyd, who said he works for Coffee County Codes but was speaking as a resident, warned that the proposal would open the A1 agricultural district to more development and read the county’s A1 zoning intent aloud for the record. Farmer Sean Jones and several other residents described narrow roads and small bridges on Old Airport and nearby rural routes, saying those conditions make adding scores of new homes unsafe. Jones said the road is “18 foot” and that the area sees large farm equipment during harvest.

“The existing line does not meet fire protection coverage,” a county official told the commission during discussion of the applicant’s water and fire protection plans. Planning staff and the applicant said the project still must clear additional technical steps, including construction-plan review and state review by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), before a final plat could be recorded.

Why it matters: The property is zoned A1 (agriculture/forest), a designation speakers said is intended to preserve farmland and low-density residential uses. Neighbors argued the subdivision would change the character and infrastructure needs of the Hillsborough–Asbury area and shift costs for roads, water, schools and emergency services.

Public comment and staff responses: Residents raised several recurring issues: an unmarked cemetery on the parcel (Sullivan); lack of adequate water pressure on the existing 4-inch line and requests that the county consider a 6-inch main (Terry Floyd and other speakers); narrow roads and bridges that they said cannot safely carry additional daily traffic and wide farm equipment (Sean Jones, Mike Bryan); wetlands and perk-test questions for septic systems; and the absence of fire-protection coverage in parts of the service area. Northcutt and planning staff responded that soil-perc tests were completed for the lots shown, initial traffic/line-of-sight work had been done for the proposed new intersections, and that the developer must still submit construction plans, secure any required TDEC approvals and meet fire-protection requirements where applicable.

Commission action and next steps: The commission first voted to approve the project’s conceptual plan and then moved to approve the preliminary plat as presented. A motion to approve the preliminary plat was made and seconded and the commission recorded a unanimous vote to pass the preliminary plan at the Jan. 28 meeting. Commissioners reiterated that final approval depends on subsequent reviews: completion of construction plans, TDEC review where required, and compliance with county codes and any fire-protection requirements before the final plat is accepted.

Votes at a glance: - Old Airport Road (major preliminary for a 39-lot subdivision by Mr. Graham): preliminary plan approved (motion made; seconded; passed). Further approvals required: construction-plan review, TDEC review, final plat review by the Planning Commission. - Opossum Paw Road (Moonrise Developments; minor preliminary, four parcels): approved. - Carve-off near Eddie Duke dairy (minor preliminary): approved. - 1762 Pocahontas Road (minor preliminary/final): approved. - Money Road (minor preliminary): approved. - Baines Road (major preliminary; 8 lots on ~11.5 acres): approved.

What the commission said: Commissioners and staff repeatedly told speakers that the commission’s authority is bound by existing county codes and state regulations. Several commissioners acknowledged public concerns and said the body will recommend code changes to the county commission; but they also noted that any change to zoning or county codes must be approved by the county commission to affect subdivisions like the one approved.

Where things stand now: The applicant may proceed with required engineering and construction-plan submittals. County staff and the developer said TDEC and other technical reviews remain outstanding; if those reviews or revised construction plans identify deficiencies the project could still be revised or denied at later steps. Several residents in the meeting were urged to raise code-change concerns with their county commissioners, who would have authority to change zoning or subdivision rules in future.

Ending: The preliminary approval does not authorize building; a final plat and any required state approvals must be obtained before lots may be sold or developed. Planning commission members said they plan to bring several code changes back for public hearings, including fire-protection language and setback considerations, and encouraged residents to contact county commissioners if they seek broader changes to county growth policy.