Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cheatham County denies rezoning for Sweet Home Road parcel after residents cite safety, character concerns
Summary
After a lengthy public hearing with residents and planning-board testimony, the Cheatham County Commission voted to deny a rezoning request for 4055 Sweet Home Road, citing traffic, lot-density and compatibility concerns raised by neighbors and planning advisors.
The Cheatham County Commission on Nov. 17 voted to deny a rezoning request for 4055 Sweet Home Road, rejecting a proposal to reclassify the property from R-1 to a commercial mixed-use planned-unit development. The vote to deny carried on a roll call of 10 yes, 1 abstain and 1 absent.
Neighbors and local board members urged the commission to preserve the area’s rural character and cited safety risks on Sweet Home Road. Aaron Rocker, a nearby resident, told the commission the road "cannot take that type of traffic" and warned that adding an entrance at the proposed site could turn a dangerous curve into a four-way intersection. Christopher Spike, president of the Maple Hills Homeowners Association, said the project would introduce density and uses that do not align with surrounding development and recalled a 2021 petition opposing earlier plans for the site.
Larry Nash, former planning-board member and current chairman of the Board of Zoning Appeals, detailed technical and regulatory concerns, including the project’s density (he calculated roughly four houses per acre for the developer’s proposal of 197 houses on 67 acres) and a proposed 5-foot lot setback that he said conflicts with the county’s 10-foot standard. Nash told commissioners the CPUD proposal is ‘‘the wrong place’’ for high-density, commercial-style development and urged denial.
Commissioners weighed the community testimony, traffic-safety issues and planning guidance, then voted to deny the rezone request. The denial follows multiple rounds of public comment and planning hearings. The commission’s action returns the parcel to its existing R-1 designation; any future development proposals would need to conform to that zoning or be reintroduced under a new application.
What’s next: The denial is final for this session. Residents urged commissioners to monitor related traffic and safety, and the county’s planning staff will continue to process permit applications under the current zoning.
Speakers quoted or referenced in this article are listed in the meeting record. The public hearing on the matter concluded before the vote and the commission recorded its roll-call tally as noted above.
