Plans for Chapelbrow press on despite setbacks: Adult living community still seeking city approval

The preliminary and by no means final draft of the Scenic Highway movement plan and the changes it may bring to the landscape around Covenant.

Plans for Chapelbrow, the adult living community planned to be built across from Covenant’s campus, are moving forward, but slowly. The process hangs on the current state of the economy and Lookout Mountain’s approval of a comprehensive plan for the city.

“The economy has been a major factor, but it has been part of the Lord’s providence,” said Joel Belz, a member of Chapelbrow’s board. “Because it has slowed us down, we have time to do the preliminary things right.”

Belz said that it is the group’s priority to “be a good neighbor to Covenant, to Lookout Mountain, and to Walker County. Each has its distinct interests, and we want to honor them.”

The board of the Chapelbrow project includes Belz, Bob Avis, and Lookout Mountain residents Frank Brock (former Covenant President) and Richard Crotteau, a Chattanooga attorney.

The group believes the plan presented is community-sensitive, cognizant of both the neighbors and the existing environment and landforms in the property. “We want to settle critics by setting high standards for design and infrastructure,” said Belz.

The consulting developer has been Longmeadow Homes of Asheville, NC. The choice of the final project developer is still up in the air. Brock said they cannot make the final choice until the group receives its entitlements.

The architect is Jay Stewart, who specializes in retirement communities. The land planner, who specializes in mountain communities, remains Hutch Kerns of Kerns Landscape Architecture of Asheville, NC.

A Planning Commission, made up of representatives of the city, has passed a Planned Unit Development (PUD) for the project, which outlines for developers how they can develop a given property and provides flexibility. The city council is now considering the PUD as they work on a comprehensive town plan.

The town plan will take up to four months to create after they choose a planner and establish a budget. Chapelbrow’s ability to move forward depends on the outcome of this plan, and on whether or not the city approves the idea of the living community.

Brock said the state of the economy makes it “vastly harder to do a project like this,” on top of gaining approval from the city and state.

Part of the difficulty is that the Chapelbrow project is so ambitious. Current plans include the possibility of moving Scenic Highway to better coordinate the development and Covenant’s campus plan.

This re-directed route would cut along the eastern edge of Covenant’s property. If the concept is approved, it would mean Covenant may have a new south entrance near where the guest cottages are now, expanding the south part of the campus and giving it a “safer campus edge” with Scenic Highway.

VP of Advancement Troy Duble represents Covenant to Chapelbrow and to the City of Lookout Mountain. “Anything that happens with this development affects Covenant and its neighbors,” said Duble. “We want to make sure our voice is heard in all of this.”

Duble believes the movement of the highway and a different entrance to the college would have the long-term benefit of safety for students turning out onto the highway.

In 2010 Chapelbrow hopes to begin redirecting the roads and start putting in the main drives for the development. But there are still “many hurdles to cross,” said Brock, who says the group has to work out plans with the State of Georgia and the Department of Transportation.

He added that it could be five years before the highway is moved. Despite the challenges, Belz and Brock say Chapelbrow is still committed to trying to get the highway moved.

“There are still mountains of detail to put together,” said Belz. “But we have spent three years gathering information, and now the movement is mainly up to the city and the State of Georgia.”