Applicant withdraws R2 rezoning request after neighbors object to sober‑living plan on Mouse Creek Road

The Bradley County Planning Commission heard a rezoning request for 7059 Mouse Creek Road and then closed the matter after the applicant withdrew the request.

Neighbors, including Brian Dale of 760 Mouse Creek Road, urged the commission to deny the rezoning and called the request “spot zoning,” saying the parcel is surrounded by active farmland and that reclassifying a single lot to R2 would contradict the stated purpose of the county's F district. Dale also raised procedural questions about whether a traffic study or infrastructure review had been completed and noted emergency response times he said were roughly 14 minutes for fire, 22 minutes for police and about 23 minutes for EMS or hospital transport.

Several nearby residents echoed those concerns. Dwayne Pace said the main objection was moving the parcel from F to R2 and emphasized that rezoning is permanent. Nick Guthrie and Jennifer Guthrie said the family has farmed locally for decades and expressed safety and access concerns if the site hosted a transitional or sober‑living residence.

The property owner, Heather Guthrie (who identified herself as Heather Corbin), told the commission the intent is to operate a sober‑living, faith‑based home to help people in recovery. She said the program would include a house manager and transportation, that renovations are underway and that an initial resident could be placed quickly if the facility were already approved. “Our heart is to help people become more sober and just for their lives to be transformed by the Lord,” she said.

During discussion, commissioners and county staff noted that a group home of eight or fewer residents is a listed permitted use in the F district and that state licensing and septic approval would still be required. County staff confirmed the parcel is about five acres and that additional restrooms or increased occupancy would require septic review and state licensing processes. Commissioners asked for clarification about whether the proposed use required rezoning; staff and members said it likely did not.

After the exchange of public comments and staff clarifications, the applicant formally withdrew the R2 rezoning request and indicated she would pursue the use as a permitted group home under the existing F zoning while completing required state licensing and septic reviews. The chair closed the item and the matter ended without a rezoning vote.