Kingston Springs moves forward with rural resort zoning on first reading

The Kingston Springs Board of Commissioners advanced a proposed rural resort zoning ordinance Thursday, approving the measure on first reading after discussion and revisions.

The ordinance, known as the Transitional Mixed-Use Planned Unit Resort Development (TMU-PURD) district, is intended to create a framework for large-scale developments that combine residential uses, commercial amenities, recreation and open space.

The Planning Commission recommended the ordinance Aug. 13, with Commissioner Michael Coldwell voting against it. Coldwell abstained from Thursday’s Board of Commissioners vote.

“I generally support the need for transitional or mixed use zoning, but I have concerns with the proposed size and density of potential projects covered by this ordinance,” Coldwell said during the Planning Commission meeting.

The ordinance will return to the Board of Commissioners for a second reading during its September meeting.

The proposal comes after Cheatham County officials halted their own discussions of rural resort zoning earlier this year following months of public opposition. Kingston Springs officials began considering their own framework in July.

The proposed town ordinance would apply only to property designated as a mixed-use transitional zone by the city and located within Kingston Springs’ Urban Growth Boundary. 

Under the draft, a TMU-PURD district would require 200 acres. The ordinance divides the development into three broad categories: at least 25% residential, at least 25% commercial or non-residential uses and at least 50% open space.

Residential development would be limited to a maximum overall density of three dwelling units per gross acre.

The ordinance also establishes rules for short-term accommodations, which could include rental cottages, hotels and lodges. Short-term visitor accommodations must account for less than 25% of the total resort acreage and less than 30% of all uses on the property.

Permitted amenities could include restaurants, cafes, bars, recreational facilities, retail businesses, meeting facilities, hotels, lodges and country clubs. The ordinance also allows for wineries, distilleries and breweries.

During the Aug. 13 Planning Commission meeting, City Planner Sharon Armstrong said several changes had been made to clarify the commission's ability to vary certain requirements based on the characteristics of a particular property.

She said the revised language addresses circumstances such as steep slopes, unsuitable areas for development and other site-specific challenges.

Armstrong also emphasized that the ordinance does not eliminate the underlying zoning requirements or the town's other development regulations.

“The underlying base zones of R1, R2, R3, C1, and C2 ... still apply,” Armstrong said, noting that density requirements remain in place.

The ordinance also requires developers to connect projects to public water and sewer, with extensions of those systems paid for by the developer. Traffic studies, road improvements and bonding would also be required where applicable.

Kingston Springs officials have stressed that the ordinance itself is a planning and zoning tool, rather than approval of a specific resort project. However, the proposal follows interest from a Nashville developer in a more than 500-acre property near the Narrows of the Harpeth.

The Board's second reading on Sept. 17 will provide the next opportunity for commissioners to consider the ordinance before it can take effect.