Commissioners press for shared access, TDOT coordination after two Fairview Boulevard projects presented

After hearing details on both the Ascension campus and the River Forest subdivision, commissioners emphasized the need to minimize curb cuts, pursue shared access across properties, and coordinate traffic analysis for cumulative impacts on Fairview Boulevard and Horn Tavern Road. Planning staff confirmed the Ascension team's traffic study was submitted to TDOT and that TDOT had provided concept-level agreement on a proposed eastbound left-turn lane; the Ascension team also noted one nearby median opening would likely be closed per TDOT suggestion.

Commissioners asked that traffic studies be scoped to account for multiple concurrent developments along the corridor rather than evaluating each project in isolation. One commissioner warned that Horn Tavern Road has existing traffic and flooding/runoff issues and urged staff to account for regional traffic interactions before permitting final access plans. The River Forest team said they would coordinate future traffic study scope with staff when the plan reaches that stage.

The commission suggested shared-access agreements with neighboring properties, including Ascension, and noted that improving an existing 20–30-foot access easement to Fairview Boulevard could both reduce new curb cuts and provide emergency access benefits to adjacent sites. Commissioners also discussed how access decisions affect emergency response: closing a median and adding a turn lane changes available turnaround locations and could influence first-responder routing.

Next steps: staff will advise applicants on coordinating traffic study scope and pursuing shared access solutions; applicants will refine designs with TDOT input and discuss easement improvements with neighboring landowners.