Rutherford County planners defer PUD for equestrian complex on Horton Highway after neighbors seek tighter limits

The Rutherford County Regional Planning Commission on March 9 deferred a rezoning request from Hein Properties for about 10.4 acres at 9180 Horton Highway that would convert residential low-density land to a planned unit development to allow an indoor riding arena, stables, a farm-to-table restaurant, a coffee shop and boutique.

Commissioners said they needed clearer limits in the PUD’s pattern book on land uses, event size and frequency, lighting and parking before approving a land use that may persist through changes of ownership. Doug DeMasi, county planning staff, summarized staff comments and said a traffic access report recommended a southbound left-turn lane; the consultant concluded a northbound right-turn lane did not meet warrant thresholds but was close and could improve safety at the 55 mph state highway.

Attorney Chris Gant, representing the applicants, told the commission the applicant had reviewed the consultant’s letter and was prepared to “move forward with a right turn lane even though it fell a bit below the threshold.” Kelsey McGaties, the project engineer, told commissioners Walter Way would be paved to the end of the property and the commercial access would be set back from Horton Highway to allow stacking for vehicles entering and exiting the site.

During public comment, attorney Ben Bradford, representing nearby owners Kurt and Jessica Overhart, asked the commission to defer the PUD until the pattern book and land-use descriptions are tightened. Bradford urged the commission to limit event hours, attendance and amplified sound and to provide clearer guidance on parking and traffic flow so that the broad “education and community and events and assembly” uses listed in the pattern book cannot be interpreted later as open-ended rights.

Commissioners pressed applicants on technical matters. A licensed soil scientist’s report showed the soils were adequate for about 100 occupants, but several commissioners said grease traps and wastewater from a full-service restaurant could change that calculus and asked for site-level verification during engineering review. The applicant said they expect to stable 18–20 horses (the plan lists 25 stalls, several of which are for wash stalls) and that routine manure would be hauled off-site.

Several commissioners asked staff to provide the most recent round of pattern-book revisions before the commission acts. One commissioner moved to defer the application to allow the applicant to address parking, noise, event limits, soils and pattern-book language; the motion passed on a roll-call vote.

Next steps: the applicant will revise the pattern book and return with requested clarifications; all rezoning and ordinance amendment requests will go to the Rutherford County Board of Commissioners on April 16, 2026 unless withdrawn or further deferred.