The Town of Smyrna Municipal Planning Commission on Jan. 8 approved a series of plats and site plans and recommended several zoning‑ordinance changes to the Town Council.

Commissioners voted to approve the annexation and PID rezoning for 8216 Florence Road to allow a planned industrial development and a 35,400‑square‑foot conventional self‑storage complex, approved sketch and final plats for multiple subdivisions, and recommended zoning changes that would (among other things) allow climate‑controlled self‑storage in C2/C5 districts by special exception and clarify rules for transient vendors and yard sales.

Why it matters: Several of the approvals affect where commercial and residential growth can occur, and the ordinance changes aim to provide clearer rules for new business types (for example, roll‑off dumpster operators and climate‑controlled storage) while clarifying temporary‑vendor enforcement and event exemptions.

Details: Key land‑use and planning actions announced and voted on by the commission included:

- Annexation and rezoning for 8216 Florence Road (planned self‑storage): staff required a water‑main extension, a hydrant within 400 feet, and fire‑flow of 1,500 gpm at 20 psi; staff reported drive aisles widened to 28–30 feet and tree‑buffering or Type D landscaping where grading prevents tree preservation. The motion to approve passed as announced by the chair.

- Several plats and final plats: The Enclave at Lee Road (sketch plat, 43 lots on about 19.8 acres), Courtyard at Stewart’s Creek Phase 3 (final plat, 37 lots, 48.57 acres), Derby Run Phase 2B (final plat), and a townhome HPR at Sam Ridley/Dr. Horton were all recommended for approval with staff comments; a small number of approvals recorded an abstention noted on the record.

- Site plans: Staff recommended and the commission approved several commercial site plans, including Amelivilla (approx. 8,700 sq ft multitenant retail), Brew Y’all (950‑sq‑ft drive‑through coffee with two stacking lanes), Medical Park Plaza (8,100‑sq‑ft multitenant building), and a 10,000‑sq‑ft outbuilding at Kroger Shops (subject to conditions on primary materials, ADA access and dumpster locations).

- Deferrals and design review: The Bailey Equipment & Intralogistics warehouse proposal (approx. 40,250 sq ft) on Trident Drive was deferred after staff and commissioners concluded the elevations did not meet the town’s current design‑review standards. "Staff does recommend deferral, due to the elevations not meeting design review," planning staff said during the presentation.

- Zoning‑ordinance recommendations to council: The commission voted to forward a positive recommendation for climate‑controlled self‑storage (to be regulated as a special exception in C2 and C5, with additional conditions), clarifications to locate solid‑waste services in industrial/airport districts, clearer transient‑vendor rules and a definition and limit on residential yard‑sale events (four per address per year).

Votes at a glance (as announced from the chair and staff during the meeting):
- Approval of Dec. 4, 2025 minutes — approved.
- Annexation/rezoning 8216 Florence Road (Sunny Patel) — approved with staff comments.
- Vintage Harbor PUD amendment — deferred to next meeting by motion.
- Bailey Equipment & Intralogistics (Trident Drive) site plan — deferred by motion; staff to work with applicant on elevations and materials.
- Derby Run PRD amendment — approved with staff comments (motion recorded with one abstention).
- Sketch plat: The Enclave at Lee Road — approved with staff comments.
- Final plats: Courtyard at Stewart’s Creek Phase 3; Derby Run Phase 2B; Sam Ridley HPR — approved (some with abstentions noted on the record).
- Site plans: Amelivilla; Brew Y’all; Kroger Shops outbuilding (approved with staff conditions to meet design‑review materials and address dumpster/ADA locations); Medical Park Plaza — approved with staff comments.
- Zoning ordinance recommendations: climate‑controlled storage, solid‑waste services placement, temporary outdoor sales (vendor rules/exemptions), and yard‑sale definition/limits — all recommended to council.
- Bond review report (January) — approved per staff recommendations.

What’s next: Several items will return to a future Planning Commission meeting after applicants respond to staff comments; zoning ordinance amendments will be considered by the Town Council per the commission’s positive recommendations.