A show of force by residents of the Stone Crest subdivision in Rockfield has resulted in postponement of action on a proposed 73-acre commercial and residential development along Russellville Road.

At the request of attorney Chris Davenport – representing property owner Tim Wheeler and developer Mirsad Alic – the City-County Planning Commission of Warren County voted Thursday to recess the hearing on the rezoning application for the property at 6309 Russellville Road until the commission’s Sept. 19 meeting.

Davenport’s request for a recess came after some 50 residents of the Stone Crest area showed up for the meeting to express their concerns about a development plan that included a trucking operation along with multi-family residential and commercial uses.

“This development borders the Stone Crest subdivision,” said Joe Hodges, one of the Stone Crest residents. “The idea of semi-trucks in our backyard is not something we wanted, and it’s not appropriate for that property.”

Hodges said he and his neighbors also had concerns about a history of sinkholes on the property.

“Our fear is that the brittle nature of the land would be problematic,” he said.

Davenport met with the residents after the rezoning application was postponed, and he indicated that further meetings will follow before the planning commission meets Sept. 19.

“It’s possible that we could make some changes (to the development),” Davenport said. “I do think there are many concerns we can address.”

Another resident of the area, Garry Chaffin, was glad to see the hearing delayed.

“Delaying this is a good move,” Chaffin said during the group’s meeting with Davenport. “The industrial part is a big concern. We’re not trying to fight progress. We’re just trying to protect our quality of life.”

While that development was put on hold, plans for a commercial development on Scottsville Road near the Plano community moved forward.

The commissioners, in a 9-0 vote, approved a development plan amendment submitted by Jackson White for a 5.66-acre tract at 5851 Scottsville Road.

White’s plan calls for developing the former Deweese Carpets property, zoned highway business, into a mixture of commercial uses. The plan calls for five buildings of approximately 11,925 square feet behind a 30,000-square-foot area reserved for a future commercial building that will front Scottsville Road.

“In that front area we’re trying to do a retail development and hoping to draw some restaurants on out Scottsville Road,” White said. “If you live out Scottsville Road, there aren’t any restaurants on that side of town. I think a lot of commercial things would work out there. That’s where all the rooftops are going.”

In other action Thursday, the planning commission approved the following:

• Rezoning 0.436 acres at 8095 Smiths Grove-Scottsville Road for the Ruth Hughes estate from agriculture to residential estate in order to match the zoning of the property’s other 0.565 acres.
• Rezoning 0.561 acres owned by Mary Fishback at 9136 Porter Pike from agriculture to residential estate to remove the split-zoning on the property.
• Rezoning 1.053 acres owned by James and Sally Brown at 2929 Smallhouse Road to single-family residential (moderate density) in order to reconfigure the property and allow the construction of an additional single-family residence.