Garden-style apartments approved

Citing a need for more rental housing, especially for millennials, the city and county regional planning commission approved a rezoning request for a multiunit garden villa rental development developers said is the first of its kind in Chattanooga.

The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission voted Monday to recommend approval of the rezoning request for the $11 million development by MAP Engineers and developer Mike Price. The site is located at Shallowford Road and Murray Lane near an assisted living facility and Hamilton Place, and it will provide one- and two-bedroom units with more privacy, amenities and green space than typical apartments.

Planning agency staff recommended approval but listed several conditions, including maximum density of no more than eight dwelling units per acre. The original proposal from MAP Engineers stated it would be have a total of 90 units throughout the development, or about 10 dwelling units per acre. The planning commission approved the request with the conditions.

A handful of residents spoke in opposition of the proposal, saying it would add more traffic to the area and that they would prefer for-sale units instead. The developer and planning commission members both cited a need for more rental housing.

Chairman of the commission, Ethan Collier, said the affordability of housing is a growing challenge in the city as young people struggle to afford to buy homes.

“I think who the renter is has changed a lot,” he said. “The rental market has changed a lot over the last 10 years and the number of people that have graduated from college saddled with college debt and not able to afford a mortgage is growing every day.”

The request will go before the Chattanooga City Council at its meeting Sept. 11.