FMPC reviews Virtue Road rezoning request
Farragut Municipal Planning Commission discussed, but took no action on, a rezoning request for part of a Virtue Road property during a workshop session Thursday, May 21.
The subdivision is being planned for property at 817 Virtue Road, where the developer, Benchmark Associates Inc., on behalf of the owner, is requesting an amendment to the Town’s zoning map from S-1 — Community Service — and Agriculture to Rural Single-Family Residential (R-1).
“The property owner is wanting to ultimately be able to subdivide this parcel,” Town Community Development director Mark Shipley said. “It’s a little over 8.5 acres, but it’s currently zoned three different districts.”
One part is zoned R-1 while another portion is S-1, the same zoning as Virtue Church, and the remaining portion, located on the east side of Virtue Road by the lake, is zoned Agriculture.
If the owner gets the property rezoned, Shipley said she would like to subdivide the property into three parcels.
“R-1 [Open Space Cluster Residential] is consistent with the Future Land Use Map,” he said. “It’s the same density … from the staff’s perspective, the rezoning makes sense.”
However, Shipley said the subdivision would be impacted by the Town’s planned improvements to Virtue Road. The Town plans to build a boardwalk that would cross the property and connect to a trail extending from Virtue Road.
“However, if the owner ultimately does subdivide, we are going to coordinate with the owner, staff and designers involved with the Virtue Road improvements on the access for the three lots, the boardwalk and crossing to the asphalt walkway,” Shipley said.
“We’re just trying to make sure we are thinking ahead and coordinate with the property owner and the Town so there’s not conflicts that occur in the future,” he added.
Shipley said the plan was approved last month with conditions, but builders later discovered lot coverage issues and revised the final plat.
