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Commission approves Somerville rezoning to allow one additional house on Rockhouse Road
Summary
The commission approved a rezoning allowing one additional residence on a 2.86-acre parcel so the applicant may live near and care for an elderly family member; neighbors and the applicant provided competing testimony before the vote.
The Robertson County Commission voted to rezone a 2.86-acre parcel on Rockhouse Road from AG-2 to R-40 so the owner may place an additional house on the property to assist an elderly relative. The item appeared on the agenda as Resolution 102025085 and had been recommended against by the planning commission by a vote of 4–1.
Applicant Jerry Somerville (4936 Rockhouse Road) spoke in favor of the rezoning, presented signatures he said were from nearby property owners and said he intended to build to care for his aging mother. Multiple neighbors testified both for and against the request. Diana Hannah Somerville and a surveyor, Todd Bollinger, supported the application; Bollinger said the plan was for a single additional house to accommodate family caregiving. Opponents, including Betty Button Fanucan and another neighbor who described Rockhouse Road as a narrow, historic, one-lane country road with frequent flooding, urged the commission to preserve the area’s rural character.
Commission debate emphasized that the proposal was for one additional home, not a subdivision. Commissioners who supported the measure cited the applicant’s caregiving need. Commissioners who opposed noted the planning commission’s recommendation against the change on comprehensive-plan grounds and warned of setting a precedent. After discussion the chair called the vote and the commission approved the rezoning; the chair announced the resolution passed.
The approved rezoning changes the parcel’s zoning classification to R-40. The commission record shows this decision was considered on its individual facts, with commissioners saying they weighed caregiving and family needs against comprehensive-plan consistency.
