Zoning request granted
Ringgold OKS rezoning for apartment project off Pine Grove Road.
Officials in Ringgold have approved a re-zoning request for a developer to erect apartment buildings next to Rock Fitness Center off Pine Grove Road.
The request to subdivide the property into two lots and to rezone the south lower lot from a C-2 property to an R-3 property was heard during the Oct. 28 City Council meeting.
During the discussion, owner Rodney Waters explained that he’s had the plan to build some apartments for awhile, but wanted to wait until it was financially feasible.
He added that the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission also unanimously approved his plans prior to bringing the request to the council.
“I went to the Zoning and Planning and they passed everything unanimous,” Waters said. “I’m here to ask y’all to hopefully do the same thing. To make a long story short, when I had that property, it was originally in the county and everything was okay back then, but then I was annexed into the city and it’s a whole new thing.”
Waters explained that the plan is for a one-story apartment building with four units in it.
“It’s four apartments per building,” Waters said. “According to my surveyor, they can max out at 28. I’d like to have to opportunity if it ever came, but financially, I won’t be able to do that any time in the near future. I’d like to start one in the next year, which would be four
(apartments).
Waters added that the apartments would be of the two-bedroom, two-bath variety and would be rented to older tenants.
“I’m targeting 50 years old and above,” Waters said.
According to Waters, Catoosa County had him install the necessary sewer and stormwater runoff requirements years ago, but he said he would be willing to have an engineer reevaluate those aspects of the project if needed.
“I’m not asking for anything special, just what y’all will allow me to do,” Waters said.
One resident questioned how the apartments combined with Rock Fitness would impact traffic along Pine Grove Road and Daffron Road near her home, but seemed satisfied with the plans Waters presented.
Ultimately, Mayor Pro Tem
Terry Crawford motioned to approve the request.
“We should take Planning and Zoning’s lead on this. They approved it,” Crawford said. “I make a motion we approve it.”
The board approved the request unanimously by way of a 5-0 vote.