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Commission defers Ocala Road PUD after traffic and intergovernmental concerns
Summary
The planning commission deferred a planned-unit development for 3 commercial buildings near Interstate 840 and Ocala Road (REZ-25014), citing need for more comprehensive traffic planning, interlocal coordination with Smyrna and pending third-party traffic review.
The Rutherford County planning commission on Aug. 11 deferred consideration of REZ-25014, the Ocala PUD proposed by Laws Bolden and SEC representatives, after staff and commissioners urged a broader, coordinated traffic and utility approach for the Interstate 840/Ocala Road corridor.
The applicant asked to rezone roughly 21 acres north of Interstate 840 for a three-building commercial development with approximately 155,000 square feet of space shown on the concept materials. Planning staff said the site sits inside the county’s Amaville Road Employment Center land-use area and that adjoining development activity — including large housing projects annexed by the town of Smyrna — is accelerating demand and complicating traffic and sewer planning.
Mike (county staff) summarized a recent TDOT coordination meeting that identified several needed improvements: a traffic signal at the intersection of Amaville Road and Ocala Road, a signal on the eastbound 840 ramp and turn-lane improvements at the westbound ramp. Staff and TDOT noted the cumulative effect of multiple projects and said a comprehensive, multi-project approach would better determine required off-site improvements and cost-sharing arrangements.
Applicant representative Rob Molchan and Laws Bolden said the plan was intended to provide flexible, locally oriented “flex-space” for smaller businesses and that the project team had narrowed access to two Ocala Road entrances and preserved a 95-foot landscape buffer. “We’re happy to contribute toward a light — happy to pay our fair share,” Bolden told the commission, but both he and the applicant urged a practical path forward to avoid indefinite delay.
Commissioners, staff and the applicant discussed cost-sharing for major traffic improvements. County attorneys and staff said Rutherford County currently lacks a formal fee-in-lieu or roadway cost-sharing mechanism for unincorporated development comparable to some municipalities; establishing an interlocal or cost-share framework with the town of Smyrna and other developers will take time. Staff also said third-party traffic review of the applicant’s study was pending.
After discussion, the commission voted to defer REZ-25014 to give staff and the applicant time to coordinate traffic solutions, interlocal arrangements and complete third-party review. Several commissioners emphasized the need to develop a consistent, repeatable cost-share and nexus method for corridor improvements to avoid ad hoc or piecemeal fixes.
Next steps: the applicant and staff will continue TDOT coordination, complete the county’s third-party traffic review, and explore cost-share options with Smyrna and other developers. The application will return to the commission after staff has gathered the additional analyses and interlocal recommendation.
