Smyrna council denies rezoning for 250‑unit mixed‑use project on Highlands Parkway after heated debate

Smyrna Mayor and Council voted 5-2 to deny a request by Wood Partners to rezone a roughly seven‑acre parcel on Highlands Parkway from office/institutional (OI) to mixed‑use conditional for a 250‑unit multifamily development with about 2,500 square feet of retail.

Community Development Director Rusty Martin told the council the city’s future land‑use map designates the corridor as industrial and that the Planning & Zoning Commission had unanimously recommended denial at its August 11 meeting. Staff recommended denial and listed six variances the applicant sought, including large front and side setback increases and higher residential density than the zoning allows.

Kevin Moore, speaking for Wood Partners, and Blake Brady, the project presenter, said the corridor already contains a mix of office, industrial and retail uses and argued the proposal would supply much‑needed housing near employment centers and interstate access. The developer offered three proffers, including five units set aside at 80% of area median income and funding for a traffic signal at Highlands Parkway and Lake Ridge Drive.

Several council members questioned the proposal’s consistency with the future land‑use plan, the scale of variances requested and safety concerns for pedestrians on a high‑speed corridor. Residents and an opponent who described school‑capacity data and late‑night pedestrian risks urged denial. One public commenter noted Nickajack Elementary is operating over capacity and expressed concern that the developer’s school‑impact analysis undercounted local pressure on schools.

Councilman Oglesby moved to approve the rezoning ‘as presented’; the motion failed. Councilmember Lindley then moved to deny the request, seconded by Councilmember Gould; that motion passed 5-2. The council upheld staff and PNZ recommendations to deny the land‑use change and associated variances.

Next steps: the applicant may choose to revise the proposal or pursue other zoning classifications; the council did not set further conditions. The planning record includes the PNZ denial and staff report referenced during the hearing.

Quotes from the record: “The future land use for this area calls for it to be industrial,” Rusty Martin told the council. Developer Kevin Moore said the proposal “adds to the mixture that’s already there” and framed the project as a response to regional housing shortages.

The council’s vote leaves the property in its current OI designation; no rezoning or variances were granted.