The council heard a contested rezoning request (planning case Z432025) to change 5.12 acres near Merriweather Road from Agricultural (AG) to R5 Residential District. Staff said the property is near exit 1 and provided a sketch submitted by the applicant; historical staff estimates put potential density at up to 61 units, while the applicant’s sketch showed about 34 units. The planning commission recommended disapproval; staff’s recommendation and analysis were mixed with concerns about block-face pattern and corridor capacity.

Councilman Lovato led an extended critique, saying the developer’s traffic study was overly optimistic and that parent pickup lines at nearby schools mean travel times are much longer than presented. Lovato said the Merriweather/Trenton corridor is already congested, cited monthly emergency responses for traffic crashes in the area, described existing flooding into residences in Meriwether Farm retention areas and warned that rezoning AG parcels would open a larger wave of similar requests. "This zoning request . . . is much closer to Trenton in that intersection than what is being perceived in those pictures," Lovato said, and urged a no vote at the council hearing.

Council members asked staff about TDOT’s Trenton Road widening project. Mr. Smith (street department) said TDOT has the corridor on its 2030 program, with right-of-way acquisition underway and a multi-year construction sequence that may take three to five years for work and possibly longer for the full corridor improvements; staff said local design stipulations and mitigation could be required if development is approved before TDOT improvements are completed. Council members argued those uncertainties weigh against approving a substantial jump from AG to R5 now.

The transcript records strong council concern about school capacity, sidewalks and stormwater: sidewalks would be required with development, a sewer extension and a traffic assessment were required and received, and the area is in a "PRZ" (parent responsibility zone) for school walking rules. Council members referenced more than 20 emails submitted to the planning commission and repeated community opposition at the RPC hearing. The planning commission’s unanimous disapproval was cited by several council members.

The transcript does not record council’s final vote on the rezoning application; the item was discussed at length and framed for final action at the council’s next vote.