Swan-Ivey first read: BOMA 4-0
David Robinette, developer with Site Inc., is approaching the final hurdle in his attempts to rezone properties, locally known as the Swan and Ivey farms, for commercial and residential developments respectively.
Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved unanimously two rezoning requests on first reading during its meeting Thursday, June 28. Robinette’s first cleared hurdle was approval from Farragut Municipal Planning Commission, which he received in May.
However, approval for both rezoning requests was contingent upon the developer’s creating an access to Union Road that meets the Town’s design standards. One way to achieve that is by extending Way Station Trail through the Swan property to Union Road.
Robinette’s request was to rezone 28.76 acres at 12639 Kingston Pike, also known as the Swan property, from R-2, R-1 and Floodplain District to Neighborhood Convenience Commercial Zoning and FTD.
“Basically, it’s on the north side of Kingston Pike, just west of Everett Road,” Farragut Community Development director Mark Shipley said, adding most of the property was zoned R-2, which is low-density residential).
“Initially, the applicant requested to rezone approximately the southern two-thirds of the property to General Commercial (C-1), then the northern third to R-4 (attached single family), but at the same time the staff was developing this Neighborhood/Convenience Commercial District,” he said.
“After sending that (district information) to the applicant, and him going through it and seeing how it would work with what he envisioned doing on the property,” Shipley added. “(Robinette) and the staff felt it would be a better fit for this property since you’ve got a lot of (residential) properties nearby, and it would be a good transitional district.”
During an FMPC meeting earlier this year, Robinette said his vision was for an NNC-type development, which is a smaller residential-commercial-combination that would not include a “big box” retail business.
The Board granted final approval to creating the NCC District earlier in its June 28 meeting.
In previous meetings, the biggest bone of contention for the Town’s staff, FMPC and residents neighboring the Swan and Ivey properties was the substandard condition of Union Road.
“When this rezoning was presented to the Planning Commission, the condition of Union Road was a major topic of discussion,” Shipley said. “The staff recommended that if the property were rezoned … that there be a condition in place that all portions of any development that might occur on the property would have to access a street that meets the minimum design standards in the subdivision regulations.
“That can be achieved by the Town’s improvements to Union Road, which we know is several years out, or the extension of Way Station Trail, through the property to Union Road,” he added.
Regarding rezoning the Ivey Farm property to R-1 and R-1/OSR, Shipley said the requested zone was a good fit and would provide better protection for the surrounding subdivisions.
In similar action, the Board approved unanimously:
• A request to rezone 20.267 acres at 801 McFee Road from R-2 to R-1/OSR on second reading.
• To remove General Commercial Storage District from its ordinances.
• To remove mini-warehouse facilities from the list of permitted uses in the Town’s Regional Commercial (C-2) Zoning District. However, the Board excluded a proposed storage development at the former US Golf property at Snyder Road.
