Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Pud topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Almaville Road PUD approved after heated public comment over traffic and community character
Summary
The Planning Commission approved Beacon Acquisitions’ 31.75‑acre PUD on Almaville Road after the applicant narrowed permitted uses, committed to tree preservation and to building a private access easement to public standards; neighbors nonetheless warned the rural corridor is ill‑equipped for added commercial traffic.
After an extensive public hearing, the Rutherford County Planning Commission approved a plan‑unit development from Beacon Acquisitions for 31.75 acres at 7477 Almaville Road, but not without sustained resident opposition over traffic, heritage and flooding risks.
Staff said the PUD was revised since its last appearance: the applicant limited the list of permitted uses, added a 30‑foot tree‑preservation buffer in most of the site, and proposed that a private access easement be constructed to public standards so it could function as a future connector if needed. The application sets maximum building sizes (20,000 square feet per lot and a maximum 80,000 square feet overall) and indicates storage areas would be secured by chain‑link or privacy fencing.
Residents attending the meeting urged the commission to preserve the community’s rural character and warned that a widening of Almaville Road has not occurred and that road shoulders are eroded. "This section of Highway 102 has never been widened and remains ill‑equipped to handle any additional traffic to this area," said Mary Brabbam, who testified that the intersection and shoulders were already unsafe. Laura Shri Glazner and other speakers said the parcel sits in the historic center of the community and cautioned against commercial creep.
Supporters and some nearby landowners countered that the developers had worked with neighbors, that the narrowed use list would favor small contractors rather than large warehouses, and that a properly engineered access and traffic mitigation program would limit safety impacts. Commissioner Joshua James noted the broader context: sewer extension and expansion pressures from nearby Smyrna could drive larger development if the county does not retain some control over how parcels are rezoned.
Applicant representatives told the commission they had completed an access study and were coordinating with T DOT. They committed to meeting any recommendations arising from the county’s third‑party review of traffic and to build the private access to public standards, to be maintained by an owners association.
The commission approved the PUD after discussion and a roll call vote. Staff said outstanding issues include pending third‑party traffic review and T DOT coordination; those recommendations, if any, will be incorporated into site‑plan requirements before development proceeds.
Next steps: the PUD recommendation goes to the Board of Commissioners on June 11. The applicant must satisfy any T DOT access requirements and implement the buffer, screening and access improvements required at site plan.
