Committee advances comprehensive-plan amendment and several annexation applications to full council

The Gallatin City Council Committee advanced several planning- and annexation-related items to the full council on committee recommendation.

An applicant requested a comprehensive-plan amendment to change approximately 325.48 acres from rural/suburban character areas to general urban community character and extend the Gallatin Gateway Industrial Center subarea to include the parcel. Planning staff noted the GMPC adopted a recommending resolution (2025-14, 6–0). Council discussion focused on whether to change the broad character area or only extend the industrial subarea overlay; some members cautioned that changing the character area could be interpreted as paving the way to future industrial rezoning, while others noted that the rural character area currently discourages industrial uses. The committee voted to forward the amendment to the council with one abstention.

Council also considered multiple annexation petitions and plan-of-service items. One large annexation petition (about 109.74 acres along Hartsville Pike) prompted a substantive discussion about contiguity and whether annexing a roadway right-of-way to create contiguity could be perceived as "strip annexation." Staff explained a segment of the roadway had been previously annexed and that the current request would complete contiguous lines; some council members asked staff and legal to confirm the approach before final action. Two smaller annexation items (a 5.09-acre parcel and related plan-of-service) were moved to full council. A 4.47-acre Cages Bend Road annexation study was presented as straightforward with services available.

The committee’s actions authorize applicants to submit formal applications and advance the items to the full council; none of these committee votes constituted final annexation or zoning approvals.