109 Hartman St.
205 Forest Ave.
207 Forest Ave.
New houses underway along Hartman Street near Forest
View down Forest Avenue toward the Walnut Street Bridge
Resident at Forest and Kemp declined to sell
A developer is planning to tear down three Craftsman style homes in North Chattanooga and replace them with a multi-family development.
Ben Hagaman has a rezoning request before the Planning Commission for Nov. 12 on 109 Hartman St. and 205 and 207 Forest Ave.
Already smaller houses near the corner of Hartman and Forest have been taken down and tall, modern homes are well underway.
With the new development, the only remaining old house along Forest between Hartman and Kent will be at the corner of Kent.
The caretaker at that address said the owner is 80 years old and has lived in the house since 1969. She said, "They kept coming at her, but she wouldn't sell."
The caretaker said, "What is being built is not the North Chattanooga we have always known."
The staff of the Regional Planning Agency said a number of building types could go in under the current R-4 zoning. The developer is seeking E-RM-3 multi-family. The planning staff is recommending E-RA-3, which would allow fewer units per lot.
The staff wrote, "The surrounding development form is a mix of urban infill single-family residential
and urban medium-density residential. While the North Shore Plan suggests a mix of uses with building heights up to 42’, development patterns since the adoption of the area plan 11 years ago would suggest that an urban, low and medium-density residential on small lot development form is more consistent for this area. The E-RM-3 Zone is intended to accommodate a mix of higher intensity multi-family housing options, which could include large multi-unit apartment buildings. North of Hartman Street, the existing neighborhood character is primarily single-family homes. Zoning classifications that allow a mix of single-family, two-family, and low-intensity multi-family housing options (E-RD Zone or E-RA Zone) would be more appropriate as it would provide some transition between the multi-family housing, located mostly south of Hartman, and the single-family homes to the north. The E-RA Zone is intended to accommodate a mix of single-family, two-family and lower intensity multi-family options (up to 4 units on a lot.) The E-RA zone would also
accommodate the proposed development program as indicated in the submitted site
plan.
The staff also wrote, "The properties included in the zoning request include steep slopes ranging from 15 percent to 40 percent. While new development in the area has taken place on steep slopes, lot design and layout should work to preserve the existing topography to mitigate stormwater runoff and hillside stability issues in accordance with the adopted area plan.
The staff recommendation says, "The property is currently zoned R-4 Special Zone which would permit a wide variety of uses (banks, apartment complexes, drug stores, and laboratories), does not regulate parking placement to the rear, and would require larger front setbacks that would not be compatible with the plan recommendation or existing development form. The site is adjacent to the Northshore Commercial District which as a general principle would call for some form of transition district between higher intensity commercial and the predominant small lot single family residential to the north; this is consistent with the Northshore Plan recommendation for “Medium Intensity Development” for this block. The applicant is requesting E-RM-3; however the E-RA-3
zone would accommodate the request while providing a limit on the number of units per lot (up to 4 units) which would be more appropriate transition district between the existing E-RM-3 district to the south and the more predominant single family residential uses to the north.
DENY E-RM-3, Approve E-RA-3."