Planning commission defers Murfreesboro Storage PUD amendment after neighbor concerns about lighting and buffering
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Summary
The commission deferred a proposed PUD amendment at 8455 Franklin Road that would add storage buildings and vehicle/RV parking, citing neighbor concerns about lighting, buffering, fence height and landscaping survivability; commissioners asked applicant and neighbors to negotiate conditions and return.
The Rutherford County Planning Commission voted on Feb. 9 to defer a proposed PUD amendment for the Murfreesboro Storage property at 8455 Franklin Road after extended public comment and commissioner discussion.
Staff presented the application from Bev Krueger to amend an existing PUD to add additional storage buildings, an office and more surface parking for vehicles, RVs and boats. Staff and neighbors raised concerns about lighting and its visual impact, the survivability of plantings in the rock‑rich/karst soils on parts of the site, the adequacy of the existing six‑foot privacy fence to screen tall RVs, and whether replacing an existing house with new buildings would change neighborhood sightlines.
Residents Mike Byrd and Todd Helms spoke during public comment. Byrd asked staff to confirm whether the application covered five or 10 acres and questioned the house height reported on the application. Helms, who lives at 102 Deer Run adjacent to the site, said extensive planting on his property had produced trees 20–25 feet tall and urged controls to minimize light intrusion and maintain neighborhood character.
Applicant representative Benny Pandorff said the new structures will be shorter than the existing house and that the project uses downward‑cutoff lighting and landscaping; he acknowledged challenges growing trees in some rocky locations and said the applicant remains willing to work with neighbors. Commissioners proposed options including raising or hardening the privacy screen (for example, masonry wall), limiting or relocating RV storage, building a berm to provide soil for plantings, and requiring taller fencing where RVs would be stored. One commissioner suggested approving building demolition and building placement but not the proposed buffer encroachment.
After these discussions, a motion to defer the PUD amendment — to give the applicant time to work with staff and neighbors and return with refined proposals — passed on roll call. Staff recommended the applicant use the deferral period to meet neighbors and refine buffering, lighting and parking proposals; the commission also discussed additional public notification before future hearings.
