Developers of The Enclave at East Hamilton and members of the East Brainerd Community Committee met last week to finalize plans for the proposed project.
The Enclave at East Hamilton began as a proposed mixed use development at the corner of East Brainerd and Ooltewah-Ringgold Roads. Because of concerns about the proposed apartments and increase in traffic, the project had little community support. The project also required rezoning for a portion of the site, and there were concerns about the phasing of development at the site.
The development team listened to the concerns and turned to a strategy successfully employed by the Hillocks Farm project in Hixson. The result for Hixson was a project equally embraced by the community and the developer, and one the Enclave team wanted to replicate.
The process, dubbed “Community Vision,” encourages the appointment of community members to form a committee to serve as a liaison between the development team and the community. Working closely together, questions, and concerns are documented with the development team working with the committee to develop the best possible plan for the proposed project. The goal is to provide a project that is supported by the community and the developer as it is considered by the Regional Planning Commission. The process was initially implemented by Chattanooga City Councilmen Chip Henderson, Jerry Mitchell, and Ken Smith.
The East Brainerd community selected ten members to form a committee to work with developer Sam Issa on the project. Between the two groups, there have been a total of 16 meetings as plans progressed for the project.