Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rezoning 1410 Max Smith topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission denies rezoning of former motel on North Max Smith Road over floodplain and safety concerns
Summary
A proposal to rezone 1410 North Max Smith Road to allow conversion of a Budgetel motel into mixed‑use apartments and small retail was denied after staff and commissioners raised concerns about the site’s location in the 100‑year floodplain, evacuation demands, and compatibility with C‑4 requirements.
The East Ridge Planning Commission voted to deny a request to rezone 1410 North Max Smith Road from C‑1 tourism commercial to C‑4 planned commerce center — a change the applicant said was necessary to convert a dated motel into mixed‑use housing and small commercial space.
Planning staff flagged multiple compatibility challenges, chief among them that the property lies within the 100‑year flood hazard area. Staff said conversion to permanent non‑transient occupancy would impose substantial demands on emergency services during flooding and would require adherence to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guidance such as elevating structures above base flood elevation or flood‑proofing where substantial‑improvement thresholds are met.
Julie Sellers, representing Fifth Street Capital Partners — the contract purchaser — described a plan to renovate the existing motel buildings into furnished, workforce‑focused apartments with approximately 2,700 square feet of commercial space in the front building and tenant amenities in the rear. Sellers displayed examples of past hotel‑to‑apartment conversions and said the developer would impose background checks, minimum six‑month leases and property‑management standards. "By converting these outdated, underperforming... we have the opportunity to create affordable housing options," Sellers said.
Staff noted earlier rezoning attempts at the site had been denied and that proposed density figures were substantial: Howell read a planning summary stating a proposed density of 58 dwelling units per acre, totaling 257 units. During the hearing, Sellers later described a unit mix including 18 units at about 300 square feet, 10 units at about 600 square feet and 29 larger units (reported on the record), which the record shows as the developer's unit breakdown; the apparent disparity between staff’s stated total-unit figure and the applicant’s unit mix was not reconciled at the hearing.
Commissioners expressed concern about the combination of higher residential density, proximity to Interstate 75 and the site’s placement inside a floodplain. The fire marshal and staff referenced past emergency‑response difficulties at a nearby independent living facility and underscored the additional burden a non‑transient residential conversion could pose during evacuations.
Commission member Witt moved to deny the rezoning; the motion was seconded and approved on a unanimous roll call (Howe — yes; Cornelius — yes; Williams — yes; Witt — yes; Chairperson Tuggle — yes). The denial leaves the property with its current C‑1 zoning; the applicant indicated readiness to propose conditions and restrictions but did not secure a favorable recommendation at this meeting.
