Planning Commission approves amendment to DeJarnet Place PCD with added buffer and limits on drive-throughs near homes

The Murfreesboro Planning Commission on June 4 recommended approval of an amendment to the DeJarnet Place Planned Commercial Development (PCD), a 23.7-acre site along DeJarnet Lane proposed by Swanson Developments LP, after a public hearing in which nearby residents raised concerns about noise, lighting, buffering and traffic.

The amendment updates the PCD's permitted-use table to add several retail and small-scale production categories, sets specific maximum building heights, and adds airport-related protections; commissioners approved the change with conditions that require added buffering and a fence along lots B and D and remove drive-through/drive-in restaurant uses on those two lots.

The change matters because the site, approved originally as a PCD in 2007–2008, sits immediately north of the Murfreesboro Municipal Airport flight path and directly behind the Bradford Place subdivision. Planning staff and the applicant said the update is intended to reflect current market demand and modern design standards; neighbors said the changes would materially alter a previously residential-facing plan and could reduce quality of life and property values.

Planning staff presented the application and background. Matthew Bromley, planning staff, said the original PCD was approved by the city council in February 2008 and that roads, utilities and the stormwater basin are in place but "there is nothing that has gone vertical on it yet." Bromley said the applicant is returning because proposed changes exceed what staff may approve as minor deviations. He also said the applicant worked with airport staff to set building-height limits "in compliance with federal recommendations and regulations."

Clyde Rountree of Huddleston Civil Engineering, representing Swanson Development, explained the layout and the proposed use changes. He said the amendment removes tightly prescriptive architectural elevations from the original pattern book and instead defaults to the city's design guidelines while setting maximum building heights and a 40-foot navigation easement along the front lots to protect the airport approach. Rountree described the intent as providing flexibility for speculative tenants while maintaining a quality standard.

Swanson representatives said the change responds to market conditions. Danny Du, chief analytics officer for Swanson Development, cited office-market weakness following the COVID-19 pandemic and said regional data show sustained declines in office occupancy, arguing it is "prudent and forward looking" to permit a broader mix of uses.

Key elements of the amendment and the conditions approved by the commission: - Site and procedural: the PCD encompasses approximately 23.7 acres along DeJarnet Lane; the plat recording, public streets Sword Court and Lido Court, installed utilities and a detention pond are already in place. - Uses added: proposed additions highlighted during the hearing include artisan use, artisan brewery (small brewery category), artisan winery, grocery store, specialty and limited specialty restaurants (examples cited: donut shop, ice cream), and fitness studios under 5,000 square feet. The applicant also proposed explicitly prohibited uses including vape shops, fueling stations and institutional group assembly (churches, schools) because of proximity to the airport; the pattern book language includes a prohibition on large gatherings near the runway, noting a limit of 50 persons for small group gatherings. - Heights and airport protections: the amendment sets maximum building heights by sub-area: lots A and B — 30 feet; lots C and D — 35 feet; lot E — 45 feet. Staff and the applicant said they coordinated those limits with airport staff; the pattern book language also includes a 40-foot navigation easement along the two front parcels to prevent obstructions in the flight path. - Landscaping and screening: the applicant proposed double-row evergreen plantings and other design measures. Commissioners and neighbors pressed for stronger immediate screening. As a condition of approval the commission required a fence and modified buffering along lots B and D (the parcels directly adjacent to Bradford Place) and asked that the developer plant more mature trees at installation (applicant agreed to consider 8-foot plantings at installation, with later maintenance and staff review).

During the public hearing, several Bradford Place residents described expectations formed when the PCD was first approved and expressed opposition to retail and restaurant uses near their back yards. Mike Schleicher (706 Middleton Lane) said he and neighbors had expected residential or office uses and told the commission, "If you put a McDonald's or another restaurant behind my house, I'm gonna literally be able to hear them ordering their french fries." Karen Wardle, Bradford Place HOA president (738 Middleton Lane), said the change could affect home values, local traffic and nighttime activity and asked whether fencing, evergreens or both would be installed. Multiple residents asked about the retention pond, which they said remains wet and creates mosquito concerns; staff and the applicant noted the detention pond was constructed per the recorded plat and is intended to control outflow and reduce erosion.

Commission discussion focused on balancing the applicant's need for flexibility with neighbors' concerns. Commissioners and staff discussed how existing city lighting and design standards — not necessarily repeated in the pattern book — will apply to future site plans; Bromley said that, unless a pattern-book exception is explicit, individual lot plans will default to standard commercial zoning rules and the citywide design guidelines. Commissioners also discussed whether specific fast-food drive-throughs could be excluded; the final motion restricted drive-through/drive-in restaurants on lots B and D but left other lots available for those uses, subject to the pattern-book text and staff review.

Votes at a glance: the commission recorded the following formal actions during the meeting: - Motion to approve amendment to the DeJarnet Place PCD as described and subject to conditions: fence along lots B and D, type-B mature buffering on B and D, removal of drive-through/drive-in restaurant uses on lots B and D, subject to utility approvals and all staff comments. Mover: Commissioner Aberwater (motion text as presented at the hearing); second: not specified on audio record. Vote (roll call): Miss Fulgham — yes; Mr. Carroll — yes; Vice Chair Halliburton — yes; Mr. Harris — yes; Mr. Prince — yes; Mr. Wright — yes; Chair Jones — yes. Outcome: approved. - Motion to approve minutes of the May 21, 2025 Planning Commission meeting. Vote recorded on the audio: Miss Aberwater — aye; Mr. Carroll — aye; Vice Chair Halliburton — aye; Mr. Harris — aye; Mr. Prince — aye. Outcome: approved. - Mandatory referral: dedication of a Middle Tennessee Electric easement on two city-owned parcels along West College Street/Old Nashville Highway (to place underground electric). Motion recommended approval subject to standard staff comments. Vote (roll call recorded): commissioners voting aye included Miss Aberwater (recorded as the roll call name variant on the audio), Mr. Carroll, Mr. Harris, Mr. Prince, Mr. Wright and Chair Jones. Outcome: approved.

What happens next: the Planning Commission's recommendation will go to the Murfreesboro City Council for final action on the PCD amendment and the easement dedication. Staff will continue to coordinate with water resources/stormwater and utility departments about buffering within existing easements and any necessary relocation or interior buffering adjustments if utilities prevent planting on the property line.

The commission closed the public hearing after hearing from residents and developers and moved to other staff business.