Neighbors oppose East Division industrial rezoning; Planning Commission gives project negative recommendation

The Mount Juliet Planning Commission voted on Dec. 18 to give a negative recommendation for a land-use change that would allow an industrial business park on roughly 47 acres along East Division Street.

City staff told commissioners the requested Business Development Center Impact Zone and IR PUD industrial zoning are inconsistent with the adopted future land-use plan, and staff recommended denial. The applicant said the proposal was for multiple smaller, multi-tenant industrial buildings (not a single high-cube distribution center), limited to about 38 feet in height, and included a landscape berm and other buffering.

Neighbors from the adjacent Hunting Hills subdivision urged the commission to follow the staff findings. Derek Stoffel said residents received late notice and cited concerns about the scale of proposed buildings, lighting, truck parking adjacent to homes and the lack of identified end users. "We don't know what's going in there," Stoffel said, adding that traffic and safety on Division Street are major worries.

Several residents said Division Street already carries heavy truck traffic and that connecting new truck routes could increase safety risks for students who use that road. Commissioners also raised questions about buffering, dock positions and long-range timing for road improvements. The applicant later requested and received a deferral of certain annexation/PMDP items related to the project.

The commission's negative recommendation will go to the Board of Commissioners, which will make the final determination on the land-use amendment and any related rezoning or annexation.