Chattanooga

Chattanooga Council Takes Up 2102 Vance Avenue Rezoning Oct. 13 After Staff Urged Denial

A 0.62-acre vacant lot at 2102 Vance Avenue, owned by the Islamic Center of Chattanooga, is on the Chattanooga City Council’s Oct. 13 first-reading list. Planning staff recommended denying commercial zoning; the Planning Commission recommended C-N Commercial Neighborhood instead.

Tracy King

07 Oct 2026 • 5 min read

Case 2026-0099 covers a 0.62-acre vacant lot at 2102 Vance Avenue near South Willow Street. Illustrative photo.

The Chattanooga City Council is set to take up a commercial rezoning for a vacant lot at 2102 Vance Avenue on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. Case 2026-0099 is on the council’s first-reading list, and the city’s public notice sets a hearing that day at 3:30 p.m. at 1000 Lindsay Street.

The applicant, Meshari Alanazi, asked to rezone the 0.62-acre property, owned by the Islamic Center of Chattanooga, out of RN-3 Residential Neighborhood zoning. Regional Planning Agency staff recommended denial. The Planning Commission went a different way and recommended C-N Commercial Neighborhood zoning instead of the commercial zone requested.

What was requested

The staff report, prepared for the Aug. 10, 2026, Planning Commission meeting, lists the request as RN-3 to C-C Commercial Corridor Zone with conditions. The stated project is “a drive-thru facility and commercial kitchen,” with three conditions offered: no animal facility, no auto mechanic or body shop, and no alcohol establishment.

The site is listed as vacant land at tax map parcel 146N-W-020 in City Council District 9. Vance Avenue is an Urban Local Road, and South Willow Street is an Urban Minor Arterial. Staff notes bus stops within walking distance on CARTA Route 10G (Glenwood) and Route 4 (Eastgate/Hamilton Place).

The lot was equivalency mapped from R-3 to RN-3 in 2025, and staff reports no other zoning case history.

Which commercial zone? The documents differ

The documents name different requested zones. The Regional Planning Agency staff report and the applicant’s letter describe the request as RN-3 to C-C Commercial Corridor. The City Council committee agenda lists the applicant version as RN-3 to C-MU1 Commercial Mixed-Use Zone, and the public hearing notice describes the request as “RN-3 Residential Zone to C-MU1 Commercial Mixed-Use Zone with conditions.” Both the agenda and the notice say the Planning Commission recommendation was C-N Commercial Neighborhood.

The owner’s case

In a letter to the Regional Planning Agency, the Islamic Center of Chattanooga says the change comes from its inability to build a large enough new center within the limits of the land. It asked for special exceptions for a drive-thru facility and commercial kitchen.

The center writes that it wants to turn the unused lot into a way to fund its own programs and to provide space for local businesses, clinics and other organizations. It says it does not intend to allow alcohol, smoke or adult shops, drinking establishments or outdoor venues, and that it is open to discussing use conditions with the agency, Council or neighbors.

The letter also points to mixed-use, commercial and industrial zoning within a few hundred feet of the property. A site plan in the packet notes that no FEMA flooding occurs on the property and that stormwater improvements would be met through an underground system.

Why staff recommended denial

Staff’s analysis focuses on fit with the neighborhood and the plan:

Use and scale. Surrounding properties are mostly single-unit and multi-unit homes, along with institutional and nonprofit facilities and commercial offices. Staff writes that a zone developed for commercial corridors can create incompatibility in both use and scale in an urban setting.
No commercial neighbors. The property does not adjoin any commercial zones. Surrounding zoning is RN-3 to the north, east and south, INST to the north and RN-1-5 to the west.
Wrong kind of street. Staff says C-C is intended for major corridors such as Hixson Pike, Brainerd Road and Lee Highway, and that corridor zoning on a local residential street can set an incompatible precedent.
The plan. Plan Chattanooga Area 3 designates the site Mixed Residential, a place type for single-family homes, duplexes, townhomes and multi-unit dwellings. Staff writes that it does not support commercial corridor development or auto-oriented drive-thru facilities. It also cites Plan Chattanooga Guiding Principle 1, on preserving core residential areas, and Guiding Principle 2 and Big Idea 2, which focus commercial density on corridors and nodes.
Where growth goes. Area 3 directs higher-intensity commercial growth to transit corridors such as McCallie Avenue and East Main Street and to neighborhood nodes, not interior streets like Vance Avenue.

Staff adds that smaller neighborhood commercial zones exist but do not permit auto-oriented uses. It notes that RN-3 already allows multi-unit housing and offers to meet with the applicant about residential infill options.

2026-0099 at a glance

Item	Detail	Source
Address	2102 Vance Ave	Staff report
Owner	Islamic Center of Chattanooga	Staff report
Size	0.62 acres	Staff report
Current zoning	RN-3 Residential Neighborhood	Staff report
Requested zone	C-C with conditions	Staff report
Applicant version on Council agenda	C-MU1 Commercial Mixed-Use	Council committee agenda
Staff recommendation	Deny	Staff report
Planning Commission	C-N Commercial Neighborhood	Council agenda; public notice
Council District	9	Staff report; Council agenda
Council hearing	Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, 3:30 p.m.	Public notice

What it means for nearby homeowners

The neighborhood around Vance Avenue and South Willow Street mixes single-family homes, apartments, a fire department, nonprofit offices and some commercial and office uses to the south. A commercial zone on an interior lot can change traffic, noise and the feel of a block. It can also change what buyers expect to see next door.

Adjacent owners should note that C-N is a smaller-scale commercial zone than the one requested. If the Council follows the Planning Commission, the result is still commercial zoning on the lot.
Buyers and sellers nearby often ask what can be built across the street. The answer depends on which zone Council adopts and any conditions attached.

The same Oct. 13 list includes Chattanooga Sets Oct. 13 Hearing on Old Lee Highway RN-3 (2026-0113) and Chattanooga Council Takes Up Reflection Riding Garden Road Rezoning Oct. 13 (2026-0106). Drive-thru zoning has come up before; see Chattanooga Planners Keep South Broad Drive-Through Ban — For Now.

Wondering what your Chattanooga home is worth with a zoning change nearby? Start with a free home valuation, or request a cash offer if you would rather sell on your own timeline.

Chattanooga dates to watch

Aug. 10, 2026 — Planning Commission meeting date on the staff report.
Sept. 20, 2026 — date on the City Council public hearing notice.
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, 3:30 p.m. — City Council public hearing and first reading, City Council Assembly Room, John P. Franklin Sr. Council Building, 1000 Lindsay Street.

What is Chattanooga rezoning case 2026-0099?

It is a request by Meshari Alanazi to rezone 0.62 acres at 2102 Vance Avenue, owned by the Islamic Center of Chattanooga, from RN-3 Residential to a commercial zone for a drive-thru facility and commercial kitchen.

Regional Planning Agency staff recommended denial, saying the request is inconsistent with the Plan Chattanooga Mixed Residential place type, area plan policies and the existing neighborhood development form.

The Council agenda and public notice say the Planning Commission recommended denying the request as filed and approving C-N Commercial Neighborhood zoning instead.

Why do documents list different zones for 2026-0099?

The staff report and applicant letter describe the request as C-C Commercial Corridor. The Council agenda lists the applicant version as C-MU1 Commercial Mixed-Use, and the public notice also says C-MU1.

When will Chattanooga City Council hear the Vance Avenue rezoning?

The public notice sets a City Council public hearing for Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. at 1000 Lindsay Street, and the case is on the Oct. 13 first-reading list.