La Verne board hears traffic, notice concerns at public hearing on 76.6-acre rezoning near Waldron and Blair

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen held a public hearing July 1 on Ordinance 2025-15, a proposal to rezone roughly 76.55 acres near Waldron Road and Blair Road from R3 low-density residential to PDR (planned density residential) with an R3 high-density base.

The rezoning drew multiple residents to the podium to raise traffic, safety and notice concerns. Annette Viera, a resident of 117 Rocky Trail at The Ridge, said residents are unsure of the proposal’s details and that their "largest concern" is traffic flow through their neighborhood via Dobson Knob and the potential for new cut-throughs. Viera told the board that street hills and a proposed Sweet Maple Knoll connection could increase speeding and, she said, "a lot of times you have a cut through that initiates some criminal activity." She also said the neighborhood has an HOA and asked about measures to "beautify our area."

Craig Purcell, of 501 Smoky Ridge, said higher-density development typically means apartments or townhomes and urged the board to require a high-quality design, noting examples of poorly maintained nearby developments that have depressed property values. "I ask you to make it nice," Purcell said.

Walt Viera, of 117 Hockey Trail, urged traffic-calming infrastructure, saying the topography on south Waldron near Blair is hazardous and suggesting roundabouts to reduce collisions and improve flow. He described having "actually witnessed somebody die on a motorcycle" at that location.

A representative for the developer, Turnbull of Equitable Property Company, said the company had considered the concerns and told the board it is "excited to build a first class, development" and will be "delivering a high quality product" in North Rutherford County.

Kara Hobbs, of 115 Dobson Knob Trail, told the board that mailed notice of an earlier public forum listed an incorrect time (06:45 p.m. instead of 05:45 p.m.), which she said prevented some residents from speaking before a first vote. Hobbs told the board, "Tennessee state law mandates a public hearing and newspaper notice before enacting or amending a zoning ordinance," and asked the board to consider "a motion to defer, or a motion to suspend the rules" so the developer could address residents’ concerns before a final vote. In her remarks Hobbs said the project "passed unanonymously in the first vote," a statement she attributed to prior proceedings.

The hearing record notes the property is approximately 76.55 acres; current zoning was stated as R3 low-density residential and the proposed zoning as PDR (planned density residential) with a base R3 high-density residential. No maps or builder plans were presented during the public comments in the transcript excerpt.

The presiding official closed the public hearing and announced the Board meeting would resume in about three minutes. The transcript excerpt does not record a final vote on Ordinance 2025-15.