Collegedale planning commission defers decision on PCD abandonment and rezoning along Apison Pike

The Collegedale Planning Commission voted unanimously to postpone action for 60 days on a request to abandon a Planned Commercial Development (PCD) overlay and on related rezoning requests affecting multiple parcels along Apison Pike.

Planning staff told the commission the PCD overlay was established by Ordinance 999 (2014) and amended by Ordinance 1026 (2016) to allow a mixed-use corridor with commercial and limited residential uses; the amendment raised the allowable residential share to 49 percent. Staff said much of the public amenities and infrastructure called for in those approvals — sidewalks, trails, greenways and signalized intersections — remain incomplete and that commercial development originally envisioned has not materialized. Staff recommended denial of the PCD abandonment application as submitted, citing traffic and access concerns, incomplete conditions from the original ordinances, and the absence of verified tenant commitments.

The applicant, Mike Price of MAP Engineers, said the original 2014/2016 master plan had been unrealistic in parts because of utility easements, topography and other constraints and said the owner had tried for years to attract commercial tenants. Price described two zoning options discussed with staff: an R1T townhome district that would encourage fee-simple ownership but requires a 24-foot minimum unit width, and the less restrictive R3 multifamily district. He said the applicant initially requested R1T but later asked for R3 because the R1T dimensional rules (including the 24-foot minimum unit width) and public-right-of-way setbacks would be difficult to meet in this site’s configuration. Price also said the applicant had solicited interest from prospective commercial tenants — “5 restaurants, 3 banks, 2 medical offices, 2 auto parts stores, 1 car wash and 2 convenience stores” — but that no letters of intent or firm commitments had been submitted to staff.

Commission discussion focused on preserving the city’s long-term mixed-use vision for the Apison Pike corridor, concerns about “creep” of additional multifamily zoning adjacent to the last commercially designated parcels, and traffic and pedestrian-safety risks without the originally planned corridor access improvements. Commissioners and other members noted Collegedale’s existing housing mix — staff cited a rental rate of “over 40 percent” of city residents — and questioned whether adding more multifamily rental units at this site would align with the city’s 2030 land use goals emphasizing homeownership and a balanced mix of uses.

The applicant asked the commission for feedback and indicated willingness to revise the proposal. Price said that if the project were redesigned as fee-simple townhomes at 24-foot lot widths the final unit count would be lower than the 128 units shown under the R3 proposal; he estimated a revised plan would likely yield roughly 104–108 units. He also proposed design approaches to reduce curb cuts and encourage buildings fronting Apison Pike with parking behind to improve the corridor appearance.

After discussion the applicant requested a 60-day deferral to rework the plan and provide elevations, phasing ideas, and clearer commitments about access, sidewalks and phasing between commercial and residential components. The commission voted to defer the PCD abandonment case for 60 days; the related rezoning cases affecting the two apartment parcels and the underdeveloped parcel were deferred on the same motion.

Votes at a glance - Motion to defer the PCD abandonment and related rezoning requests for 60 days: unanimous (Vice Mayor Johnson: yes; Mayor Lloyd: yes; Commissioner Friesen: yes; Commissioner Lehman: yes; Commissioner Moody: yes; Chairwoman Gray: yes). - Motion to defer Zoning Case 2025-04 (rezoning request): unanimous yes. - Motion to defer Zoning Case 2025-05 (rezoning request): unanimous yes.

Why it matters: The PCD overlay and related ordinances were intended to produce a mixed-use corridor with commercial anchors and public amenities. Staff told the commission the overlay’s conditions have not been fully met and that abandoning the overlay without assurances could make commercial redevelopment less likely and change the corridor’s long-term character. The pause gives the applicant time to present revised designs, building elevations and clearer commitments tying commercial outparcels to any proposed residential development.

What happens next: The applicant said he will return in roughly 60 days with a revised plan and additional materials, including design elevations, a proposed lotting and phasing approach, and information about pedestrian connections and traffic mitigation. Staff also recommended a traffic-impact study as a condition before final site-plan approvals if the project advances.

Sources: Planning staff presentation to the Collegedale Planning Commission; remarks and presentation by Mike Price, MAP Engineers; roll-call votes recorded by the commission.