Collierville planners reject proposal to make Hinton Preserve streets private and gated

The Collierville Planning Commission voted down a proposed amendment to the Hinton Preserve planned development that would have allowed the subdivision’s internal roads and sidewalks to become private and gated.

Planning staff (Allison) recommended denial, saying the PD — approved in 2022 for 84 lots — included conditions keeping pedestrian easements public and that making roads private would conflict with the town’s transportation and land-use policies. Staff warned private gates would interrupt planned future road and pedestrian connections, including an intended public pedestrian connection to Hinton Park, would create enforcement challenges for the limited gate hours proposed by the applicant, and could concentrate traffic onto Fleming Road rather than distributing trips through the planned network. Staff cited an ITE-model estimate that Hinton would generate about 800 vehicle trips per day if developed as approved.

Developer representatives urged the commission to approve the amendment. John McCarty of McCarty Granbury Engineering, speaking for the developer and Magnolia Homes, said the request reflects buyer demand and that managed daytime access could preserve public pedestrian connections while offering residents nighttime security. Whitney Harvey, vice president of sales and marketing at Magnolia Homes, said gated communities are a frequent buyer preference and referenced local research she said shows premium values in gated neighborhoods; she also told the commission that privately maintained streets would reduce long-term town maintenance obligations though underground utilities would remain public.

Commission discussion centered on three themes: (1) long-term connectivity and the town’s transportation plans for this area (including planned widening of Fleming Road and future links to adjacent subdivisions), (2) enforceability and the practicality of the gate hours the applicant proposed (staff suggested that tying gate hours to park hours could require very long open-hour windows in the future), and (3) the limits of monetary arguments when weighed against the town’s adopted policies. Commissioners asked the applicant for evidence about property-value premiums and specific maintenance-cost savings but found staff’s policy and connectivity arguments persuasive.

A motion to approve the PD amendment was made, seconded and then failed on roll call by a vote of one in favor and four opposed. Commissioners recorded "No" votes citing concerns about public access, conflicts with the PD’s 2022 conditions, and the potential to disrupt planned future road and pedestrian connections. The commission did not adopt the amendment, so the streets and pedestrian easements remain public under the existing PD approval.

After the vote staff made brief announcements about upcoming meetings and the steering-committee update for the town’s comprehensive plan; the commission then adjourned for the evening.