June 3, 2002
Mr. Hugh M. Carmichael II
City Administrator
6 Liberty Square
P.O. Box 30, Sparta, TN 38583-0030
Re: Mixed Residential/Commercial Development
Dear Marty:
The use of mixed residential/commercial development is being promoted by more and
more cities. Franklin, Tennessee does this, as well as Manchester. Mixed development
is in use on Second Avenue in Nashville. I discussed this with Phil Maples, Director of
the Middle Tennessee Office of Local Planning. He advised that you contact Don
Martin, Director of the Upper Cumberland Office of Local Planning. Don has
considerable experience in dealing with this type of development.
There are two very important issues involved with mixed residential/commercial
development: (1) codes, and (2) off street parking.
Where a commercial office is to be located on the ground floor and a residential unit up
stairs, the more restrictive commercial code must be met. That means that the
apartment must be handicapped accessible, it must have two exits, if egress is more
than 50 feet to an exit, and it must meet other requirements in the fire and building codes
for a commercial structure. If proper planning is used, on the front end, there should be
little added cost. What sometimes occurs, is that the developer renovates the ground
floor to the commercial code, completes the residence to meet residential code
requirements, and the fire inspector refuses to approve the residential unit. Code
inadequacies and parking probably explain why many such residences remain empty
after being renovated. In order to meet the code, door widths have to be increased,
restroom facilities have to have larger doors and handicapped equipment, and this
renovation gets expensive when it is modified again after having been renovated the first
time.
It is possible to develop mixed industrial/commercial structures where a law office, for
example, would be located on ground floor, and a residence adjoining it on the same
floor level. Here the structure can be designed to meet the commercial code, or a two
hour fire wall can be constructed between the two units, and they can be constructed as
two separate units—one residential and the other commercial. It would probably be
cheaper to develop according to the commercial code rather than constructing a two
hour fire wall.
Even though a sprinkler system is not required in smaller buildings, it is feasible to install
a sprinkler system and then bargain with the fire inspector for flexibility on other fire code
requirements. Ray Crouch advises that fire inspectors will sometimes allow 65 feet to
egress, for example, if the developer installs a sprinkler system.
On the issue of parking, some arrangement has to be worked out so that residents do
not park along the street. Space is often very limited in down town areas where
buildings are rather small and close together—perhaps even with common walls. One
alternative is to demolish dilapidated buildings and develop parking in the space
acquired as the result of removing the building(s). Another alternative is to work out
arrangements for alternate parking at an off site facility that is nearby. The City of
LaFollette accommodated a new senior citizens residential facility by agreeing for
residents to use a part of the city’s parking lot at city hall. Parking issues probably have
to be worked out on a case by case basis, depending on alternate parking that might be
available nearby. If parking is not nearby, residents will park along the street.
The City of Sparta should be commended for promoting this type of development. Many
cities with deteriorating downtowns simply give up and allow their downtowns to become
an “eye sore” for the community and the whole world to see. If mixed
residential/commercial development occurs in Sparta, the entire community will benefit.
Please feel free to contact Don Martin in Cookeville. I am sure that he will be able to cite
more examples of cities that use this type of development.
Sincerely,
Don J. Darden
Municipal Management Consultant