Council tables rezoning request for 1408 Sanhese Drive after neighbors cite flooding and contamination concerns

The East Ridge City Council on Jan. 8 opened a public hearing on Ordinance 12-39, a proposal to rezone 1408 Sanhese Drive (tax map 169K-J-009) from C-2 General Commercial to R-2 Residential Duplex and then tabled the measure after residents and council members raised drainage and contamination concerns.

Alan Jones of Stone Creek Consulting, the applicant’s representative, told the council the Planning Commission had recommended approval and described the request as a downzoning that would “reduce land intensity and potential impacts such as traffic, noise, [and] lighting.” He said the site is in the flood zone but that the developer intends to meet flood standards by raising the finished floor above the base flood elevation rather than bringing in large volumes of fill.

Nearby residents opposed the rezoning. Ruth Davis, whose home faces the parcel, told the council that San Jacie Drive is narrow and already heavily used by traffic tied to adjacent commercial businesses, saying, “You’re gonna put duplexes there, then you’re gonna have anywhere from 4 to 6 more cars coming in and out.” Mark Shawn Moore, an adjacent property owner, questioned whether a 50-foot-wide lot can accommodate a duplex without worsening congestion and asked where stormwater would be retained if the site is elevated.

Council discussion raised two technical issues for staff to resolve before further action: (1) an engineering review focused on drainage and stormwater flow in the basin that includes Ringo Road and San Jacie Drive; and (2) possible soil sampling because of the historic use of part of the site for vehicle storage and auto-repair activities that could have left petroleum contamination. A councilmember asked that, if residential development proceeds, the property owner be asked to provide soil-sampling results; the building official said a sampling request would be warranted.

On procedure, a motion to deny the ordinance was put on the floor but council then moved instead to table the item to allow staff and engineers to study drainage and any contamination risks. On roll call the motion to table carried (yes recorded by Vice Mayor Tyler, Council member Cagle, Council member Ezell, Council member Witt and Mayor Williams). Under the zoning code, denial of a rezoning can carry a one-year waiting period for an applicant to re-apply at the same or greater intensity, though staff said the code’s language is not fully explicit when downzoning is proposed.

Next steps: the council asked staff to commission an engineering drainage study for the immediate basin and to work with the applicant and property owners on whether and how soil testing should be performed. The council will revisit Ordinance 12-39 after those technical items are reported back and the item is properly noticed for a future meeting.