Planners recommend smaller Walden grocery store

Hamilton County planners have recommended denying a revamped proposal for a shopping center with a grocery store in Walden.

But planners said they would recommend approval of the project if the grocery store was about half the proposed size, among other conditions.

Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency staff said no building in the proposed commercial

project at Taft Highway and Timesville Road on Signal Mountain should be larger than 20,000 square feet.

Chattanooga attorney and landowner John Anderson had proposed a 44,000-square-foot store in his latest plan for the property. That was down from a 49,000-square-foot store in his original proposal earlier this year.

A planned Publix grocery store off Broad Street approved by Chattanooga officials this spring is 32,000 square feet.

The staff recommendation on Anderson’s project also suggested the planning commission approve rezoning for just nine acres of the 15-acre tract, which for many years held Lines Orchids Greenhouse in Walden.

Anderson’s latest proposal sought rezoning for the nine acres with plans to make six acres on the site into public space. It also sought “village commercial” zoning on the parcel to create what’s called “The Town Center of Walden.”

The planning commission is expected to take up the matter on Aug. 12.

On Friday, Anderson said he had no comment on the latest staff recommendation.

Other staff conditions include that the amount of building area available for retail uses not exceed 80%, and that no more than one curb cut be permitted onto Taft Highway.

Also, staff suggested an internal street network within the project with an average block length not to exceed 200 feet connecting the mix of uses, areas of parking, and civic spaces.

“The streets can be private,” the staff recommendation said. “All designated streets should have curb and gutter, sidewalks and street trees.”

Anderson originally sought to rezone 15 acres for the shopping center and grocery store, the nameplate of which he won’t identify. The project drew protests from some who live in the area.

Richard Ford said he was opposed to the proposal even it was made to appear more like a town center, adding he didn’t believe it has a village center look.

“What he’s proposing is terrible,” said Ford, who lives in Sequatchie County, also citing worries about stormwater runoff.

Planning Commission staff in May recommended denial of the first plan and Anderson withdrew it and later submitted the new proposal, which also calls for about 10,000 square feet of retail or office space in a pair of buildings.

Anderson estimates between $22 million and $32 million of food sales consumed every year at homes on Signal Mountain are currently bought off the mountain. The potential total retail “leakage,” including items such as pharmacy sales, pet food and alcohol is more than $101 million annually, he said earlier.

Last year, a 38,000square-foot Food City was proposed for the adjacent town of Signal Mountain, but that project was voted down by the town council.

Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress. com or 423-757-6318. Follow him on Twitter @MikePareTFP.