Smyrna planning commission backs amendment allowing 45 townhomes and a 5,023‑sq‑ft drive‑through; neighbors cite traffic and child‑safety concerns

The Smyrna Planning Commission recommended approval, by a 3–2 vote, of Z 25‑015 — an amendment that replaces a previously approved 2021 conditional mixed‑use plan for 163 multifamily units and about 20,409 square feet of commercial space with 45 fee‑simple townhomes (maximum) and a 5,023‑square‑foot drive‑through restaurant. The recommendation goes to the mayor and council for a final vote.

The case drew extended public comment from residents who live along Oakdale Road and in nearby neighborhoods. Mike Kennedy, a property owner directly opposite the site, urged the commission to deny or defer the application, saying the proposed drive‑through adjacent to a complex five‑point intersection risks queueing that could spill into the public right‑of‑way and endanger roughly 40 homes. "Approving this without solid analysis places the burden on the neighborhood first and asks the questions later," Kennedy said.

Neighbors raised several recurring concerns: the absence (in the packet) of a traffic impact or stacking study specific to the five‑point intersection; proximity of existing school‑bus stops and pedestrian links (including the Silver Comet Trail connection) to the proposed double drive‑through; removal of a previously proposed sound wall from the plan; and the use of stacked variances that residents said effect a de‑facto commercial rezoning. "Eighty‑three percent of the parcels are single‑family," resident Kate Shaw told the commission, arguing…