Maury planners deny rezoning for Mitchum Meadows project, appeal possible
A request to rezone a 256.4 acre plot of land bordering Kedron Road and I-65 in northern Maury County has been denied by the Maury County Regional Planning Commission.
The vote brings temporarily relief to a group of concerned homeowners from the surrounding area.
The proposal, made by Middle Tennessee firm T-Square Engineering, alongside property owners James Gary, Randy Lochridge and Pinnacle Bank, shows a roadmap to build a 795-unit planned community called Mitchum Meadows at 4392 Kedron Rd.
The proposal includes rezoning the property from A-2 (rural residential) to R-2 (medium density residential) to build 295 townhomes and an additional 450 single family homes on lots ranging from 4,800 square feet to 9,600 square feet. The developer is Suncrest Real Estate & Land.
The commission voted 8-1 against the rezoning with planning commissioner Mathieu Poag casting the dissenting vote.
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“We feel the urban growth is going to continue to grow into the south,” said Casey Werner, a land development director with Suncrest, while presenting the request to the planning commission.
Proposed homes, starting at about $350,000 for the townhomes and exceeding $700,000 for single family homes, would be constructed over a five-year buildout.
As drafted, the project would also include the construction of commercial spaces and a clubhouse located near the project’s entrance.
“This is an area near urban centers and frequent shopping,” said Nathan McVay, a civil-site director with T-Square Engineering. “We have heard some concerns from the residents surrounding the property, and we are going to take those concerns and morph them into the property [proposal].”
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Push-back on high density
During a meeting held last week, neighbors of the proposed project shared concerns that the development would permanently transform the region, putting an additional strain on the county’s roads, schools and water system.
With a particular concern about the density of the project, the homeowners worried that the proposed construction would decrease the value of the surrounding properties.
Stephenson, who also serves on the county commission, told the developers that they have "a real uphill battle."
"I am not looking to turn all of Maury County into high density development,” Stephenson said. “The county does not have the money to pay for all the infrastructure of these developments.”
Comments shared by Stephenson reflect concerns shared by the existing property owners.
Mark Cook, another member of the board, said he would only approve a rezoning if both Maury County Public Schools and the county’s public services would formally confirm that the project could be sustained by current infrastructure.
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Neighbors prepare to oppose appeal
The developers now have 10 days to submit and appeal of the board’s decision to be reviewed by the members of the Maury County Commission.
Following the meeting, Resident Matt Macrander said he and his fellow neighbors will now call on the members of the county commission to uphold the decision by the planning commission.
“We are all here because we all equally love this county, and we care for it,” Macrander said.
Former Maury County Commissioner Davis Burkhalter also attended the meeting as a concerned citizen.
“I am directly across from this piece of property,” Burkhalter said. “I am not naive to think that this piece of property would be pasture land again.”
Reach Mike Christen at mchristen@c-dh.net. Follow him on Twitter at @MikeChristenCDH and on Instagram at @michaelmarco. Please consider supporting his work and that of other Daily Herald journalists by subscribing to the publication.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Maury County denies rezone for Mitchum Meadows project
