The Rutherford County Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously denied a request for a special exception that would have allowed a 5,000'square'foot noncommercial storage building on an 8.3'acre parcel at 3356 Coleman Hill Road.

Planning staff described Application 2026001, submitted for owner Escobar Mabreno Marroquin, noting the "subject property consists of 8.3 acres and does not contain a principal residential dwelling" and that the applicant proposed to replace an existing accessory structure with a new 5,000'square'foot building. Staff said the applicant provided a soils report indicating the site cannot support a conventional septic system, which is the reason the property does not have a principal residence and why an exception was requested.

Neighbors and property owners spoke at length during the public hearing, raising safety and compatibility concerns. Jeff Turner, a nearby property owner, said a structure of that scale "is not typically of a residential zoning use" and that approval could "effectively accomplish what a zoning change would without the safeguards" of a rezoning. Multiple speakers said they collected more than 50 signatures on a petition opposing the request and described the narrow, curving Coleman Hill Road as unsuitable for heavy truck traffic.

Board members questioned the applicant about existing trucks and whether the building would enable commercial activity; the applicant said he planned to store his equipment and that he had not yet begun large'scale operations. Based on the applicant's responses and the public record, a board member moved to deny the request as not compatible with the residential area. The roll call vote was unanimous in favor of denial.

What happens next: Planning and code staff said permits for existing structures on the property were later opened and remain under review, and that code enforcement and stormwater staff will follow up on neighbor complaints about activity and drainage. The board's denial allows the applicant a window to seek a new location for any commercial operation and triggers enforcement follow'up where violations are confirmed.