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Residents press Commission over Shearer Street rezoning and planned Scramble Alley removal
Summary
At the June 4 Soddy‑Daisy meeting, residents challenged the commission’s approval to rezone 130 Shearer Street to M‑1 and urged a moratorium on industrial rezonings outside the Industrial Park; they also protested plans to remove the long‑running Scramble Alley playground. Officials defended the process and pointed to an upcoming public workshop and an ongoing Land Use Plan.
Lisa Flores, a Soddy‑Daisy resident, challenged the City Commission on June 4 after the body approved rezoning 130 Shearer Street from agricultural to industrial, urging commissioners to place a moratorium on M‑1 and M‑2 rezonings outside the city’s Industrial Park.
"This year alone you awarded a consulting firm to do a major Land Use Survey and Plan," Flores said during public comment, arguing that approving industrial rezoning now risks locking in changes before that community plan is complete. She also raised questions about local hiring and accountability for promises by the business owner proposing the rezoning.
Mayor Coleman and Commissioner Everett responded that the parcel is privately owned and that rezoning requests are permitted under existing procedures. "Mr. Pollard owns the property and has a right to ask to rezone and develop it," Commissioner Everett said, adding that the parcel adjoins M‑1 zoned property on two sides. Mayor Coleman noted the commission cannot guarantee how many employees a private business will hire and that the lot in question is not part of the Industrial Park and is owned by Mr. Pollard.
Flores also criticized the city’s decision to remove Scramble Alley, a playground that has existed for 32 years, and asked when the public survey was taken. City Manager Burt Johnson said the playground has become dangerous, that the city posted surveys on its website and that replacing the structure would be costly — estimating $750,000–$800,000 for a wooden replacement. Johnson said a public workshop and a community survey would be scheduled at the end of July or early August to solicit input on parks and the comprehensive Land Use Plan.
Vice‑Mayor Penney, who serves on the Planning Commission, defended the process and described the Shearer rezoning as an exception rather than an expansion of the Industrial Park. "We have guardrails where this Board can say no when it does not meet the need," he said. Commissioner Beene said adjacent M‑1 and M‑2 parcels influenced his vote and noted the business owner has a track record of prior developments in the community.
The exchange included accusations of favoritism from Flores — noting a visible interaction between the property owner and a former commissioner — which officials called inappropriate to imply. Commissioner Everett said the Commission is made up of lifelong residents and emphasized that the city is audited by the state comptroller.
What happens next: City Manager Johnson said consultants have started the Land Use Plan, which will take about 12 months and that the city will hold a public workshop and take a survey before making broader changes. The rezoning for 130 Shearer Street was approved at second and final reading during the meeting.
