Commission backs rezoning of Southern Harmony lot to C-3; one commissioner recuses

The Tullahoma Planning Commission voted Feb. 23 to recommend rezoning Lot 38 in the Southern Harmony Estates subdivision from R-1 to C-3, a change the applicant said could allow multifamily development.

Nicholas Northcutt, representing the applicant, told the commission that if the entire parcel were available for development "you could fit 41 units on it," but he immediately qualified that estimate by noting a wetland and buffer areas would consume a significant portion of the land and reduce the practical unit count.

Staff advised commission members that the lot is separated from the main subdivision by a drain and wetland easement and is adjacent to industrial uses, including a Pepsi facility and a railroad. Staff also explained that any future development with more than five units would require a commercial site plan and further review, and that the commission would see the parcel again at final plat and site-plan stages.

One commissioner recused themself from the vote because of ownership of neighboring property; the motion to recommend rezoning carried with the recorded recusal/abstention. Commissioners and staff discussed traffic and drainage concerns raised by nearby residents, and several commissioners said the location’s proximity to industrial employment centers and Highway 55 could make it appropriate for higher-density housing.

The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and other required review bodies; the applicant and staff noted that buffers, wetland protections and required site-plan reviews will constrain any buildable area and specific unit counts.