A new neighborhood is being planned for Red Bank. Ethan Collier, owner of Collier Construction Company, has requested rezoning for a large tract of undeveloped property at 4701 Delashmitt Road from R-1A residential to R-T/Z Townhouse/Townhouse/Zero Lot Line to build a development of 34 single family homes.

At the last commission meeting of 2018, he told the commissioners that he had originally looked at using the land without rezoning it, but because of the terrain, the lot shapes were odd and did not fit the company’s model.

The requested zone change will result in more regularly shaped lots.

Commissioners were told that the heavily wooded property will have to be re-graded, which will require cutting down most of the trees. But, he said the site plan is designed to leave a 10-foot undisturbed area in addition to the required 10-foot buffer all around the development. Mr. Collier will contract with a forestry company to clear the land and will sell off the timber. The developer told the board that he would plant trees either in yards or along the streets when the homes have been built.

Only preliminary engineering has been done on the property at this point, more extensive engineering will be done if the R-T/Z zoning is approved. In the latest site plans, grading and detention ponds are planned to control stormwater runoff on the property. These are dry ponds that are designed to catch water that would then more slowly filter into the earth. One of the concerns expressed by homeowners who live nearby is that stormwater runoff, which is already a problem in some cases, would increase with the addition of 34 more houses. Mr. Collier said that the dry ponds may help the neighbors.

The starter houses will be a good opportunity for Red Bank, said Mr. Collier. They will be between 1,700 and 2,200 square feet, have side entrances and either a garage or parking pad in the rear of the house. No street parking will be needed because the driveways can accommodate five-six cars. Utilities will be under ground. The market will determine the price of the houses, he said, but he anticipates the prices to be $275,000 to $325,000. Construction is expected to begin at the end of 2019.

The commissioners voted unanimously to approve the zoning change request. A second vote will be required before the zoning is changed.

A variance was granted to Tyler Smith for property at 252 Hedgewood Dr., for reducing the width of pavement from 25 feet to 20 feet due to the terrain.

Money donated to Red Bank by the Red Bank and Soddy Daisy Charitable Foundation totaling $12,241 will be used to purchase an all-terrain vehicle for the public works department that will be used for maintenance, service and patrolling the Stringer’s Ridge Trails in Red Bank.

A 2019 HIDTA Grant (Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas) can only be used for drug trafficking issues. Red Bank will use the $18,000 reimbursement to pay overtime for one of the police officers dealing with drugs.

The commissioners declared some city-owned equipment and seized property as surplus and authorized the sale of it on govdeals.com.

On final reading, a vote approved changing the time of commission meetings to 6 p.m. versus the current time of 7 p.m. It is hoped that more people will be able to participate and that employees can get home earlier after attending the meetings.

The next regularly scheduled commission meeting on Jan. 1 has been cancelled.