Oak Ridge council approves rezoning to allow 114-unit Scarborough affordable housing project, with traffic study and community meetings required

Oak Ridge City Council on second reading approved rezoning about 11 acres in the Scarborough neighborhood to a multifamily R-4 planned unit development, clearing the way for a proposed 114-unit affordable housing project.

The project plan presented by city staff shows 114 housing units in total: 38 attached townhomes, 10 single-family dwellings intended for private ownership and the remainder configured as multifamily rental buildings. City staff said the site is roughly 11 acres and that the current rezoning vote is intended to enable the city to pursue grant funding required for the project.

Ms. Williams, the staff lead on the application, told council: "This is a 114 units over about 11 acres. That comes out to just over 10 units per acre, about 10.4 units per acre exactly," and she compared the proposal to recently built projects in Oak Ridge to provide context on density.

Why it matters: council members and nearby residents pressed staff and the developer on traffic safety, local access, and the presence of a Department of Energy air-monitoring station near the site. A resident, Ebony Capshaw, asked council to consider "the impact of this rezoning on this community and ensure that equality is promoted in opportunity, access, and outcomes for citizens in the Scarborough community."

Council discussion and conditions: council and staff agreed to require a traffic-impact study and additional community meetings before final engineering and construction approvals. A council member said the Traffic Safety Advisory Panel (TSAP) has reviewed the PUD and recommended an impact study; staff said the traffic study will be done either immediately prior to or in conjunction with the next phase of engineering. Council members also noted that, during design, the city and developer have committed to continued engagement on parking, entrances and safety for emergency response.

Staff and the housing authority told council that the Oak Ridge Housing Authority, with partner Collaborative Housing Solutions, authored the preliminary master plan and that the conceptual layout reflects concessions sought by neighbors — for example, reducing building heights to two stories in portions of the plan.

On the DOE air-monitoring site, staff said the Department of Energy previously indicated willingness to discuss relocating a monitoring station, but that such discussions will occur at the point when the project moves into detailed design; council members said they expected community input if that conversation moves forward.

The council vote: the rezoning ordinance was approved on second reading (recorded in the meeting as 7 yes, no nays). Council minutes and staff said subsequent approvals — including any final plat, engineering review and grant-funded work — will require additional public engagement and the traffic study called for by TSAP.

What’s next: the rezoning permits the city and developer to pursue state grant funding and advance final engineering. Staff said at least two series of community meetings will follow the traffic study and funding decisions.