Chattanooga Planners Take Up 199-Unit Joyfield Active on Runyan Drive With 20 Attainable Rentals Nov. 9
The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission meets Monday, Nov. 9, on a Voluntary Incentive Program application for Joyfield Active, 199 rental units at 819 Runyan Drive. In exchange for a parking reduction, 20 units would be rent-restricted at 80% of area median income for 30 years.
A 199-unit rental community planned at 819 Runyan Drive goes before the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission on Monday, Nov. 9, at 1 p.m. Joyfield Active, from Standard Development Partners, LLC, is applying through the city's Voluntary Incentive Program (VIP). It would trade a smaller parking requirement for 20 rent-restricted units. Staff recommend approval.
The same agenda moves three subdivisions toward construction, Kirkman Grove, Black Creek Phase 15F and Hillocks Ridge, plus a Black Creek rezoning for 39 homes on Whitecloud Lane.
Joyfield Active at 819 Runyan Drive
The application describes a multi-unit rental development with 199 attached residential units on 7.02 acres. The site is already zoned RN-3, which allows this many units. The developer is using only one VIP incentive: the cut to required off-street vehicle parking. It is not asking for smaller lot areas, landscaping waivers or bicycle parking waivers.
The trade: parking for attainable units
Under RN-3 zoning, 199 units would normally need 299 parking spaces, or 1.5 per unit. With the VIP incentive, the minimum drops to 100 spaces. The plan shows 199 on-site spaces, about one per unit, including a requirement for six accessible spaces.
In exchange, the program requires 10% of units to be attainable. For 199 units, that is 19.9, rounded up to 20. The developer commits those 20 units at 80% of area median income, using HUD's annual income and rent limits for the Chattanooga-Hamilton County metro.
| Joyfield Active | Application figure |
|---|---|
| Address | 819 Runyan Drive (City Council District 1) |
| Site area | 7.02 acres |
| Units | 199 attached rental units |
| Attainable units | 20, at 80% AMI |
| Parking, base RN-3 rule | 299 spaces |
| Parking, VIP minimum | 100 spaces |
| Parking proposed | 199 spaces |
| Affordability term | 30 years after certificate of occupancy |
| Penalty for noncompliance | $5,000 per non-compliant unit per year |
| Estimated completion | Dec. 31, 2028 |
How the affordability is enforced
The attainable units must stay restricted for 30 years after the certificate of occupancy, through a recorded deed restriction. Rent and income must be verified by an approved third party every year for the first 15 years and at least every five years after that. Penalties for noncompliance go into the Chattanooga Affordable Housing Fund at $5,000 per non-compliant unit per year.
The attainable units must also be comparable to the market-rate units in quality, size, configuration and location, with equal access to parking and amenities. The developer must also submit proof of Fair Housing training with a nationally certified organization before the certificate of occupancy is issued.
Why parking is the incentive that matters
Parking lots take land and money. Dropping the required count from 299 to 100 spaces frees up part of a 7.02-acre site, even though this plan still provides about one space per unit. For developers, a smaller parking requirement is often what makes mid-priced rentals work financially. The city gets 20 income-restricted homes for three decades and does not pay a direct subsidy.
The application was submitted Oct. 1, 2026, the same day as the pre-application meeting, and lists an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2028.
Subdivisions moving forward
Kirkman Grove: 98 lots off Tyner Road
The preliminary plat for Kirkman Grove, lots 1 to 98 at 7201 Tyner Road, covers 13.138 acres reached from Tyner or Kirkman roads. The staff report lists 7.155 units per acre under TRN-3 zoning with conditions, but also lists 98 lots and 13.138 acres, which calculate to about 7.46 lots per acre. Those packet figures do not reconcile. Staff recommend approval. This is the next step after the rezoning covered in Chattanooga Approves Kirkman-Tyner 94-Unit Rezoning.
Black Creek Phase 15F and Whitecloud Lane
Black Creek Phase 15 Area F, lots 1501 to 1528, covers 10.09 acres off Ravinia Lane, zoned CMU-1 and TRN-3. Staff recommend approval of the preliminary plat.
Separately, Black Creek asks to rezone about 28 acres on Whitecloud Lane from RN-1-7.5 to RN-3 for 39 homes: 30 attached units in groups of two, three and four, plus three triplexes. That works out to 1.39 units per acre. The land has extensive steep slopes over 25% along the edge of the Cumberland Plateau. Sewer service comes from the Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority (WWTA), and capacity must be verified before final civil plans are approved. Access is from River Gorge Drive onto Whitecloud Lane. Where the new RN-3 buildings border lower-density RN-1-7.5 land, the code requires a 10-foot Type R landscape buffer. Staff recommend approval with conditions.
Hillocks Ridge: 54 lots
The final plat for Hillocks Ridge, lots 1 to 54, covers 39.16 acres zoned RN-1-6 PUD for single-unit detached homes. Staff recommend approval with conditions. One condition is that newly installed sewer must be approved and accepted by the city before the plat is recorded.
Other items
The agenda also includes a preliminary plat for six lots in the Lupton City Ohana Homes Addition at 1335 Mercer Street, a final plat for Hawthorne Pointe on Oyler Lane, and a zoning text change that would allow medical and dental offices and clinics in the I-L Light Industrial zone.
Dates to know
- Mon., Nov. 9, 1 p.m. — Regional Planning Commission: VIP-26-3 Joyfield Active, Kirkman Grove, Black Creek Phase 15F, Hillocks Ridge, Whitecloud Lane rezoning.
- After the commission — Rezoning recommendations go to the City Council for final action.
- Dec. 31, 2028 — Estimated completion date for Joyfield Active.
What renters should watch
If you rent in Chattanooga and earn at or below 80% of area median income, Joyfield Active's 20 restricted units could be an option once the project opens. Rents for those units follow HUD's limits for the Chattanooga-Hamilton County metro, which are updated every year. Income is verified through a third party.
What it means for Chattanooga homeowners
New rental supply at moderate rents gives renters more choices. Over time, some of those renters become buyers. For a homeowner, the bigger signal is where builders are investing: Tyner, Lookout Valley's Black Creek and the Runyan Drive area all have active projects. For more local context, read Chattanooga Gets Up to $750,000 from Bloomberg Philanthropies to Speed Up Backyard Homes and Foundries District Apartments Break Ground Nov. 13: 287 Units Next to Erlanger Park on Chattanooga’s South Side.
Weighing a sale? Start with Chattanooga-Area Inventory Hits 4,106 Homes in September as Days on Market Climb to 56 and the Median Holds at $340,000 and Should I sell my Chattanooga house now or wait until spring 2027?. Get a free home valuation, or request a cash offer if you want a fast, certain sale.
What is Joyfield Active in Chattanooga?
A planned multi-unit rental development of 199 attached units on 7.02 acres at 819 Runyan Drive, applying through the Voluntary Incentive Program as VIP-26-3. Staff recommend approval.
How many Joyfield Active units would be attainable?
Twenty units, 10% of 199 rounded up, committed at 80% of area median income under annually updated HUD income and rent limits.
What incentive is the developer using?
Only the off-street vehicle parking reduction. The base RN-3 requirement is 299 spaces, the VIP minimum is 100, and the plan proposes 199 on-site spaces.
How long do the attainable units last?
Thirty years after the certificate of occupancy, through a recorded deed restriction. Noncompliance carries a $5,000 penalty per non-compliant unit per year, paid into the Chattanooga Affordable Housing Fund.
When does the planning commission meet?
Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, at 1 p.m. The agenda also includes Kirkman Grove, Black Creek Phase 15F, Hillocks Ridge and a Black Creek rezoning on Whitecloud Lane.
Source links
- Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission — Agenda, Nov. 9, 2026 (PDF via chcrpa.org)
- Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission — November 2026 case report and packet (PDF via chcrpa.org)
- Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency — Agenda and case information
More from Kings of Real Estate
Related local news:
- Chattanooga Approves Kirkman-Tyner 94-Unit Rezoning
- Chattanooga Gets Up to $750,000 from Bloomberg Philanthropies to Speed Up Backyard Homes
- Foundries District Apartments Break Ground Nov. 13: 287 Units Next to Erlanger Park on Chattanooga’s South Side
- Chattanooga-Area Inventory Hits 4,106 Homes in September as Days on Market Climb to 56 and the Median Holds at $340,000
- Should I sell my Chattanooga house now or wait until spring 2027?
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