East Brainerd Apartment Rezoning - An Update

Several months ago, it was considered an eyesore on East Brainerd Road.  Now, there's construction on the site, that's been re-invented three times.  Those re-inventions have both confused and infuriated people who live nearby.  We investigated the site and the project a year and a half ago, and we resume the investigation, to see what's different on the site.. And what is not.

A year-and-a-half ago when we visited this property on East Brainerd Road at Panorama Drive, it was embroiled in controversy.  Zoned R-1 residential, future plans for it had gone from a strip mall, which neighbors opposed, to a condominium development..  Neighbors like Lana Sutton were angry.  "This was a push-through," she told us then, "and it was nasty."

Fast forward a year-and-a-half.  The new owner, Flournoy Development requested and received, a rezoning to R-3 for apartments. Today, workers have sheared off the hill side, made it into levels going up the grade from East Brainerd Road, and construction has already begun on the first of ten apartment buildings.  "What they're building now, is what was approved by the city council last year," says Greg Haynes with the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission.  He says there were a long list of conditions attached to that approval., 22 in all.  He says, most of the conditions were put on at the request of the neighborhood residents..

But Sutton says, privately, many residents still have a bitter taste in their mouths, including her, because she says, it seems the company is doing more than it requested, while leaving out some things.  "They had no buffers, they took out all the trees and razed it," she says. 

The neighbors we talked to, seemed resigned to the fact that the project IS in their backyards.  None of them wanted to talk on camera, but off-camera, they did express concern.  "There have been no changes," says Mr. Haynes.  "Any change to the site plan, would have to come through the Planning Commission, and back through City Council, because of all those conditions."

And with the trackhoes digging, and the workers nailing, Ms. Sutton says the initial confusion on this development is a lesson others can learn from.  "What you should do, is call immediately and find out what's going on with the Planning Commission."

We spoke with Ryan Foster with Flournoy Development.. He says buffers are indeed, in the project, and trees will be replaced around the edges of the property.  He says, all of the conditions placed on the rezoning that the neighborhood residents asked for, are being followed.  He also says, the clubhouse building should be finished by August, and the entire project should be completed by May of 20-11.