Planning commissioners require geohazard study, defer Shackleford Ridge subdivision

Signal Mountain — The Planning Commission voted Jan. 8 to require a certified geohazard assessment, including void mapping and acid-mine-drainage analysis, for the proposed Shackleford Ridge preliminary subdivision and to defer a final decision to the commission’s February meeting.

The action followed a public hearing on a conservation subdivision proposed by developer Reagan Smith (presentation led by Ben Belders). The plan covers roughly 182 acres on Shackleford Ridge Road and would yield about 106 single-family homes and roughly 65 acres designated as conservation land, the applicant said. Town staff and residents raised concerns about historical mining features, low-pH groundwater discharges, stormwater ponds, traffic and school capacity.

Why it matters: Town environmental staff reported that the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) conducted a site visit on Jan. 7 and verbally confirmed about 23 mine-related features on the property; staff found 18 such features during their walk of the site and measured groundwater pH readings near 3–4…