Developers pitch large mixed‑use plan near Woodworth Park; planning commission denied, board will hold a hearing

Planning staff described a sizable mixed‑use proposal on the southwest corridor of Highway 92 — the project that staff called the 'eyebrow piece' — that would rezone about 4.46 acres to General Commercial and roughly 35 acres to RM16 for a mix of townhomes, apartments and commercial buildings.

The applicant’s preliminary plan shows about 66 townhomes and approximately 484 apartment units across small sections of the site, plus roughly 38,000 square feet of commercial or office space. The proposal includes a new multiuse trail along Old Highway 92, a new access connection to Priest Road, and a proposed roundabout to improve circulation, the zoning administrator said.

The application requests multiple variances: reductions to internal zoning buffers (including a proposed 10‑foot disturbed/replanted buffer in some areas), elimination of internal buffers between use types, reductions in parking calculations (multifamily from 1.75 to 1.5 spaces per unit and restaurant parking from 1/200 sq ft to 1/145 sq ft), reduced front setbacks for townhomes, and allowance for hammerhead turnarounds in place of cul‑de‑sacs. The property contains a 153‑foot cell tower and asks for flexibility regarding tower setbacks tied to proposed property lines.

Planning Commission recommended denial of the full application. Several commissioners noted transportation challenges at Priest Road and Little Ridge, and some said the proposal departs from the Board’s long‑range vision by being more heavily residential than the mixed‑use goal from the Southwest Cherokee small‑area plan.

"That's a huge need in this area and would be a huge improvement for traffic flow," one commissioner said supporting the proposed East‑West connection and roundabout; another commissioner said the submission is a reasonable starting point and called for a public hearing so the applicant can refine the plan.

What’s next: Commissioners agreed to call for a public hearing to revisit the application and to request that the applicant work with staff on modifications that address circulation, the commercial/residential mix, and buffer/parking concerns. The Planning Commission denial remains part of the record; the Board will consider the application at a public hearing scheduled to be set.