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BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) — On Tuesday evening, the Bristol City Council cast their votes on a rezoning proposal that could transform 153 acres located on the 1800 block of King College Road into a new residential development.
The proposal faced significant opposition from local residents.
David Winship addressed the council, declaring, “This is a neighborhood that you have chosen to destroy.”
Many community members voiced their concerns, arguing that the King College Road area is not suitable for such a development.
During the meeting, one resident remarked, “There are other places besides this area to put a neighborhood. This is not a good location for a neighborhood.”
The mayor of the City of Bristol, TN, Vince Turner, disagrees, telling News Channel 11 the development is needed for the city.
“We need it in our area, and we need the housing to bring another industry, one industry standard in our area if we have housing or not. And so that’s why I’m in favor,” Turner said.
The city council unanimously voted to pass the current resolution, which allows multiple studies to be done, such as infrastructure and traffic studies, which also concern community members.
“There are caverns, sinkholes that have increased and then extend to make utilities and development of housing impossible,” Winship told the council. “The creation of 75 cracker box houses will bring a traffic of 500 cars on a street that now has 25 cars. The street, Forest Drive, is a street where children play, where visitors park, in which floods in heavy rains.”
Mayor Turner told News Channel 11 the infrastructure concerns are up to the developer to decide what the better option is.
“I think that is up to the developer of how, you know, if when of the studies they do from instead of going in and any development and doing their social studies and looking what’s underneath,” Turner said. “And, before they start, if there’s rock or whatever, and it could be that it’s not feasible to build.”
A second vote on the request will be held during the council’s May 5 meeting. If approved, the rezoning will become effective 17 days after the approval.