Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Annexation Pud topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cleveland council advances Pleasant Grove Exit 20 annexation and PUD 72 on first reading
Summary
On Jan. 12 the Cleveland City Council unanimously approved first reading of Zoning Ordinance 2026-01 to establish PUD 72 (Pleasant Grove Exit 20), and accepted a Plan of Services and annexation resolutions for roughly 92.47 acres along Pleasant Grove Road; council recorded infrastructure and service limitations, including longer fire response times and a $22,000 estimated sewer connection cost.
The Cleveland City Council on Jan. 12 approved on first reading Zoning Ordinance 2026-01 to create Planned Unit Development (PUD) 72 — Pleasant Grove Exit 20 — for approximately 96.47 acres along Pleasant Grove Road and accepted related annexation paperwork and a Plan of Services for about 92.47 acres. The council voted 7-0 on the ordinance and on Resolution 2026-11 accepting the Plan of Services.
Planning staff described PUD 72 as a mixed-use concept that would allow residential and commercial uses under a single development plan while prohibiting uses such as vehicle sales, auto repair, car washes and mini-warehouse storage; the ordinance allows one convenience store with gasoline pumps but limits signage to monument-style and a single sitewide pylon at the main entrance. Robert Varnell told the council "we don't have a site plan yet, so it will be through the process again," and said the Planning Commission recommended approval 9-0.
The Plan of Services attached to the annexation lays out city commitments and limitations. Fire and emergency services staff reported the area falls outside the city’s NFPA 1710 response parameters: NFPA 1710 establishes a combined turnout and travel-time benchmark of 320 seconds for initial response, while the drive time to the parcel from the nearest station is roughly six minutes (about 360 seconds), a gap the city said cannot be met with current staffing and station locations. Water service is available via a 12-inch main on Pleasant Grove Road and fire hydrants exist at the parcel’s edges; sanitary sewer service would require approximately 100 linear feet of new gravity main to cross Pleasant Grove Road, with an Opinion of Probable Cost of $22,000 and an estimated construction window of up to eight years.
The Plan of Services also notes planning and zoning authority would extend to the annexed area upon the effective date, stormwater and TDEC permitting requirements for ponds or wetlands, and a revenue estimate of $4,611.10 per year if the property remains undeveloped. The council recorded the Plan of Services and directed required notifications to Bradley County and the Tennessee Comptroller; the annexation resolution specifies the annexation becomes effective only upon final passage of the zoning ordinance.
Councilwoman McKenzie moved acceptance of Resolution 2026-11 and Councilman Bill Estes seconded; the motion passed 7-0. Council voted 7-0 to approve Zoning Ordinance 2026-01 on first reading; further site plans and plats will be required before construction and the ordinance permits future refinements subject to Planning Commission review.
What happens next: the city will proceed with the formal site-plan and plat review process described in the ordinance; the annexation effective date will be set when the council adopts the final zoning ordinance and completes required notifications.
