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Resident urges council to deny Georgia Street access for Sunrise Ridge over traffic, water concerns
Summary
Joseph "David" Raditz of Green Acres told the Loudon City Council the Sunrise Ridge proposal for roughly 66'68 homes would generate dangerous cut-through traffic and worsen low water pressure; city staff and the city attorney said the council lacks authority to revoke a property owner's existing access without compensation.
Joseph "David" Raditz, a Green Acres resident, urged the Loudon City Council on March 23 to deny a developer's proposed access to Georgia Street for the Sunrise Ridge subdivision, saying the project would create unsafe traffic conditions and strain the local water system.
Raditz, who identified himself as Joseph but said "everybody knows me David," told the council the developer's own traffic study projects roughly 814 additional daily trips and noted several blind curves within the subdivision. "All it takes is 1 miss out to take a life," Raditz said, arguing the Georgia Street entrance would create unsafe cut-through traffic for neighborhood streets used by children.
The resident also raised concerns about low water pressure at his home, saying he and his wife still experience pressure drops when multiple fixtures run. Council members and staff said tests had been performed by the fire department and others; staff referenced minimum standards used in state rules. "I think the TDEC minimum is 20 PSI at the meter," one staff speaker said when discussing pressure tests.
Council members and staff responded that the plat and lot measurements had met applicable minimums and that the matter was controlled by the planning/permits process rather than a unilateral council decision. City Attorney Chris told the council that "the property owner has a right to access the public street there," and that for the city to remove that access would be similar to a condemnation and would require compensating the property owner.
Mayor Jeff Harris and staff said the planning commission approved the preliminary plat and that the council did not have a direct mechanism to deny access where lots met zoning standards. Staff also explained one alternative had been widening a different road (Grimes Road) if the developer chose that option.
The council did not take action to alter the developer's access during the meeting; staff invited Raditz to discuss his concerns with the planner after the meeting. The planning commission's approvals and any subsequent site plans will determine final access and construction details.
The council's next steps on Sunrise Ridge will be driven by the planning and permitting process; no council vote was recorded to modify access or re-open the planning decision at this meeting.
