Model homes sought on 1 acre off Outlet Dr.
Schumacher Model Homes is hoping to build a couple of model homes on 1 acre off Outlet Drive, next to the future Echo Suites Hotel.
Representatives for Schumacher Model Homes presented a proposed site plan during Farragut Municipal Planning Commission’s Staff/Developer meeting Tuesday, March 4.
However, Community Development director Mark Shipley warned them, “since this is in a commercial zone, these (buildings) have to be treated as offices.
“Residential is not a permitted use, so they have to be built to the (International Building Codes) instead of the International Residential Codes,” he added. “Basically, we’re treating them as two office buildings. That’s the only way it can be legal, as far as permitted use.”
“The problem with putting homes there is they can never be used as homes,” assistant Community Development director Bart Hose said.
“They may look like houses on the outside, but you are going to have to be built internally as offices,” Shipley said.
“We are actually in the Turkey Creek center now,” said Jerald Lunsford with Schumacher Homes. “We’ve had an office there and a design center there for about four years. Our initial idea was to go to the site even before Topgolf was there.
“(In the Parkside Drive location), you come in and it’s just like a showroom,” he added, noting at the Outlet Drive site, people could tour the homes.
“We don’t build communities, so we don’t go offsite and build a subdivision and put them up. This is our only source of showing people what our homes look like.”
“You can always do a text amendment (request), but that’s gong to be a long process,” Shipley warned. “And, I don’t really know whether the Planning Commission and the Board (of Mayor and Aldermen) would want to change the text (of the ordinance).”
Regarding the plat, “I think they are trying to close on this property in late March,” Shipley said. “So, the plat, when it gets recorded, it will establish these two lots and we can get the assigned address for both parcels.
“You are going to have to coordinate with Echo Suites on the access and drainage,” Shipley added, directing that comment to the Schumacher representative. “Planning Commission had a condition on the stormwater approval to where they required some detention, not to the full extent as if it were a completely undeveloped tract, but they did require, I think, it was 50 percent of detention.
“That will have to be coordinated with this project,” he added.
