Commission approves four rezoning requests after public hearings, including planned unit developments and commercial conversions

At its June 11 meeting the Rutherford County Board of Commissioners approved four rezoning requests following public hearings and planning commission recommendations.

REZ25-028 (Javier Olvera) — Planning Director Doug DeMasi described a planned unit development request for a portion of a 31.5-acre site at 5350 Epsomill Road that resulted from prior zoning enforcement and a stop-work order. The planning commission recommended approval; no members of the public spoke for or against at the county hearing and the commission approved the rezoning with staff comments (recorded vote: 21 yes).

REZ25-018 (Bev Krueger) — An amendment to an existing planned development for a self-storage site at 8455 Franklin Road to add an office and additional storage and surface parking. Staff noted proposed landscape and fencing adjustments; the planning commission recommended approval subject to Landscape Alternative 1 and staff comments; the commission approved the recommendation (recorded vote: 21 yes).

REZ26-008 (Joshua Cannon) — A rezoning for about 5.7 acres at 2601 Thurston Drive to allow commercial services for a gravel-company expansion. The planning commission voted unanimously to recommend approval; the board approved with staff comments (recorded vote: 21 yes).

REZ26-004 (Bequin Acquisitions / Chris Rudd) — A planned unit development application for roughly 32 acres at 7477 Almaville Road focused on smaller contractor businesses and light industrial uses. Planning staff and the applicant narrowed permitted uses to exclude heavier truck operations; public commenters expressed ongoing concern about incremental industrialization along Almaville/Interstate 840 corridors and infrastructure timelines. The commission approved the rezoning with staff comments (recorded vote: 20 yes, 1 no).

For each approved rezoning, DeMasi said requirements for site plans, access, parking, and landscaping will apply and that any remediation of prior grading or floodplain work would need to be detailed in site plans if approval were granted. Commissioners noted community concerns about traffic and infrastructure and asked staff to track needed road improvements tied to future development in the area.