Planning commission approves 102‑lot Firefly Phase 1 with road‑grade, buffer and lot‑offset conditions

The Maury County Planning Commission approved the final plan for Firefly Phase 1 — a 102‑lot planned unit development in District 8 — subject to conditions aimed at road grades, landscape buffers and previously agreed lot offsets. The commission voted 6–1 to approve the plan after extended discussion about traffic projections, coordination with state transportation officials and on‑site safety concerns.

The action matters because Firefly lies along and will access US Highway 431 and Ash Hill Road; commissioners said transportation impacts and steep internal grades could affect travel safety, maintenance costs and emergency response. Staff flagged outstanding checks on traffic review, state permits and right‑of‑way matters before final construction plans are accepted.

Developer representative Joe Haddix told the commission the applicant had addressed most staff comments and submitted corrected drawings that morning, and that staff‑recommended conditions were acceptable. "We've made the necessary, legibility cleanup items that were commented on by staff," Haddix said, and provided revised lot lines for Lots 40 and 99 to meet frontage requirements.

Commission discussion focused on the traffic study and road engineering. Commissioners noted a discrepancy between historical average daily growth cited in the study (about 6.7 percent annual growth over five years) and the study's applied projection of 2 percent annual growth for future conditions. Commissioners asked staff to re‑review the traffic analysis and to coordinate potential mitigation with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) because portions of needed improvements lie in state right‑of‑way. Staff said the project was originally reviewed by the county's traffic consultant and the county road commission, but agreed to follow up with the state and the consultant.

Other conditions and clarifications approved by the commission include: ensuring no subdivision roads exceed county subdivision regulation standards; verifying that agreed lot and road offsets and previously requested landscape buffers are achieved (including any items from the prior development agreement); and requiring applicant plans for problematic segments such as Lots 70–73 to show road cross sections with grades that avoid the need for guardrails where possible.

Staff told the commission that Aquatic Resource Alteration Permits (ARAPs) for the first phase were in hand. Commissioners also pressed for confirmation of wastewater approvals in later phases; staff said a Certificate of Convenience/Need or draft state operating permit is typically required before final plat recording for systems that will be publicly regulated. Several commissioners raised fire‑safety concerns about steep grades in cul‑de‑sacs and long downhill blocks and asked the developer to examine options to reduce slopes, add retaining walls, or alter lot layouts to reduce extremely steep building envelopes.

The approval was conditional and anticipates additional technical submittals: staff will review the digital revisions delivered the day of the meeting, the county will follow up with the traffic consultant and TDOT on highway impacts, and the applicant will submit final construction drawings and respond to remaining staff punch‑list items before acceptance of public improvements.

The applicant may now proceed with the formal resubmittal of final plans consistent with the conditions the commission adopted.