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Germantown planners unanimously approve UT Martin education building at Wildwood Farm
Summary
The Germantown Planning Commission approved a preliminary and final site plan for a 7,700-square-foot UT Martin equine education building on roughly 350 acres at Wildwood Farm, with conditions and follow-up reviews for design and infrastructure. Commissioners praised the conservation-focused donation and stressed ongoing safeguards.
The Germantown Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve a preliminary and final site plan for an education building at Wildwood Farm, a roughly 350-acre horse farm at the Germantown Road/Stout Road intersection. Vice Chair Bacon moved the approval and the motion was seconded; commissioners cited preservation of the farm and the educational partnership with the University of Tennessee at Martin as primary reasons for support.
The approved plan calls for an approximately 7,700-square-foot academic building with 44 parking spaces to support an equine sciences program. City staff said the structure would not include overnight facilities and that the project scope matches a 2021 Board of Zoning Appeals 'use on appeal' the property previously received. Vice Chair Bacon said he supported the application "I'll just say that the, I love the whole idea of what's happening here... it's gonna be a jewel in our city," and the commission proceeded to a roll-call vote that recorded all members voting yes.
The motion approved the site plan "subject to the conditions, general requirements, and TAC comments listed above in the plans and documents submitted with the application," according to the motion language read into the record by Vice Chair Bacon. The commission closed the public hearing after no members of the public signed up to speak and moved the matter to design review and the required state approvals for the university-funded construction.
Next steps listed by staff and the applicant include design-review commission (DRC) review for building materials and signage, final infrastructure plan reviews (including a secondary water-tap tie‑in), and University of Tennessee Martin obtaining any state building commission approvals required to proceed with construction.
