Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rezoning REZ25 002 topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rutherford County denies rezoning for Almaville/Amityville Road distribution center after safety and traffic concerns
Summary
After a packed public hearing with scores of neighbors citing safety, noise and light concerns, the Rutherford County Commission voted 12–8 to deny rezoning REZ25-002 for roughly 39 acres on Almaville Road that the applicant proposed for three distribution/warehouse buildings.
The Rutherford County Board of Commissioners on March 13 denied a rezoning request for about 39 acres near the I-840 interchange on Almaville/Amityville Road after residents described the site as unsafe for heavy truck traffic and urged the commission to require infrastructure improvements first.
Planning Director Doug DeMasi outlined the applicant’s proposal — three buildings totaling about 431,000 square feet intended for distribution and warehousing — and said the project team had executed a memorandum of understanding on Feb. 28 to begin a traffic study and had met with the Tennessee Department of Transportation about access points. DeMasi also noted the Planning Commission recommended approval by an 8–4–1 vote.
During a lengthy public hearing, neighbors from the Southaven subdivision said the local road network and interchange visibility cannot safely accommodate the expected increase in large trucks. “The infrastructure that’s currently there is not properly equipped with the additional traffic that will be created with this development,” said Lindsey Getkin, a Southaven resident, citing limited sight lines at local intersections and Exit 47 on I‑840. Several other residents described near‑misses and past jackknife accidents and warned of increased noise, light pollution and falling property values.
Representing the applicant, Matt Taylor of SCC said the project aligns with the county’s land‑use plan, a traffic impact study is already under way, and TDOT and the county will require improvements and site‑specific conditions before construction could proceed. “We can’t go work tomorrow,” Taylor told commissioners. “We have to complete those studies before we can begin any of that activity.”
Commissioners debated whether to wait for the traffic study and for any developer‑funded road improvements or to deny the rezoning to protect existing neighborhoods. Citing safety concerns at the I‑840 ramps and Shores Road, Commissioner James moved to deny REZ25‑002. The motion passed on a roll call vote recorded as 12 yes, 8 no; the chair clarified that a “yes” vote meant to deny the rezoning.
No site plan or specific tenants had been identified; DeMasi reminded the commission that if rezoning were approved, engineered site plans and any necessary TDOT requirements would still have to be demonstrated at the planning stage. The applicant and staff said access geometry and other traffic mitigations would be studied, but opponents said the current alignment and limited shoulders made the location inappropriate for a distribution center.
The denial returns the property to its existing residential medium‑density zoning. Commission and staff comments emphasized that any future development will require follow‑up studies and approvals before construction can occur.
