Big Ridge residents opposing a planned 186-unit multi-family development off Fairview Road packed the Planning Commission on Monday.
The panel wound up deferring the case for 60 days to give the developers time to meet with the community and County Commissioner Ken Smith of Hixson.
Ryan Bourgo of nearby Hidden Harbor said the project by Iraj Radpour is "dangerous and far too dense."
He said zoning signs were up for a short time, "then promptly disappeared." He said it was "an attempt to hide the dangers of this project."
Darryl Arrendale, a Fairview Road resident, said "multiple people" have lost their lives in that section of Fairview.
Marty Malone said the Hidden Harbor HOA has been in existence some 40 years and it is the oldest in the state. He said Big Ridge currently is single-family only. He said, "The county needs to retain neighborhoods like these."
The Preserve at Hidden Springs is planned to include clusters of townhomes and condominiums. There is to be a clubhouse with a gym and community meeting space.
The Planning Agency staff recommended approval, saying there are residential Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) nearby. There would be a 50-foot buffer required with existing trees and vegetation to be retained. There would be a maximum of 11 units per building.
Nathan Moore, one of four partners on the project, said there would be some 30 acres of open space, including a lake and several ponds. He said there would be 5-7 miles of hiking trails at the gated community, which is at the site of an old quarry.
He said there is a 200-foot drop from the top of the project to the bottom and no views would be blocked since the construction would be toward the bottom.
On the road entrance issue, he noted that several cars speeded by him as he was posting the zoning signs and there was a memorial marking a fatality nearby. He said the main problem seemed to be young people driving too fast. He said the entryway had been moved about 20 feet "to the bottom of the dip" from a location where lights would have shone across the road into a resident's house.
Another partner, March Chadwick, said he had lived in New York City for 25 years and now divides his time between there and Chattanooga. He said New York City has extremely dense population, but finds way to handle traffic safely. He said similar steps could be implemented on Fairview Road, including use of decel lanes.