A new 18-lot subdivision off Free Hill Road in Putnam County has gained conditional preliminary approval from the County. Planning Commission.
Planning Director Kevin Rush said the developer must complete specific soil work to ensure the land can support septic systems for each of the proposed lots. Rush said the approval is also contingent on the construction of new roads, the installation of water mains and the placement of fire hydrants throughout the development.
“Every time we look at a subdivision, we want to make sure that each proposed lot has good soil on it that will allow septic systems to be put on that lot,” Rush said. “Anytime you’re building a road or installing water lines, the approval is conditional on that being built to our standards.”
Rush said the commission required the developer to reconfigure the layout of the neighborhood to address concerns regarding the entrance onto Free Hill Road. Rush said the original plan featured a cul-de-sac located too close to the main thoroughfare, which created potential hazards for motorists.
“When I did site visits there, where that proposed road would come out did not have great sight distance on Free Hill in either direction,” Rush said. “So it would have to be reconfigured and realigned or shortened.”
The developer has elected to shorten the proposed road, currently named Mac Drive, to improve safety. Rush said the lots that have direct frontage on Free Hill Road will be restricted to ensure their driveways only connect to the new internal road rather than the main highway.
“The main safety concern was sight distance on Free Hill Road,” Rush said. “And I think those have been addressed by the developer.”
The construction process will involve grading the road and installing underground utilities before the project can move toward final approval.
“It could take as long as a couple of years or if weather permitting, could be the roads and everything graded and put in in the next three four months,” Rush said. “So it could be as short as you know within a year having most of it done.”
Rush said the density of such developments in the county remains lower than in city limits because the projects must rely on septic systems rather than public sewer lines.
“In the city where you have sewers, you can get a lot more density of development, commercial and residential. In the county with being on septic systems, our density is much lower,” Rush said.
The subdivision is located within the Cookeville urban growth boundary, which Rush said would make a future annexation process easier if property owners ever requested it. Rush said the project is considered a low-density residential development.