Chattanooga

Chattanooga Planners Back Open Space Zoning for Ross’s Landing Eateries and Lift a Mill Town Condition

The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission on Oct. 12, 2026, recommended Open Space zoning for a 100-block Riverfront Parkway site where River City Company plans a restaurant and cafe, and unanimously approved Ethan Collier’s request to lift a condition limiting several Mill Town p

Tracy King

13 Oct 2026 • 5 min read

Chattanooga planners on Oct. 12, 2026, backed an Open Space rezoning on the riverfront at Ross’s Landing. Illustrative photo.

The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission on Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, recommended approval of a zoning change for a riverfront site at Ross’s Landing where River City Company plans two eateries. The case, 2026-0120, would move part of the 100 block of Riverfront Parkway from the RPK River Parks and Open Space zone to the OS Open Space zone. Gail Hart, who oversees city real estate, said the parcel “inadvertently was not zoned Open Space like the rest of Ross’s Landing.”

At the same meeting, the commission unanimously approved a request from developer and planning commissioner Ethan Collier to lift a condition on several properties in his company’s Mill Town development. The change opens those lots to uses beyond strictly residential, according to the Times Free Press.

Two cases at a glance

Item	Ross’s Landing site	Mill Town properties
Case	2026-0120	2026-0122
Applicant	City of Chattanooga / Real Property / Gail Hart	Ethan Collier
Location	100 blk Riverfront Pkwy (District 7)	1601, 1603, 1605, 1607 & 1611 S. Watkins; 2314 and 2316 E. 17th Street (District 9)
Request	RPK River Parks and Open Space to OS Open Space	Lift Condition #2 of Ordinance #13715
Staff recommendation	Approve with conditions	Approve
Commission action, Oct. 12	Recommended approval (Chattanoogan.com)	Unanimously approved (Times Free Press)

Ross’s Landing: a restaurant, a cafe and a softer riverfront

The riverfront case sat on the agenda as old business, deferred from Sept. 14, 2026. Staff recommended approval with conditions. Hart described the parcel as sitting just across from the end of Broad Street.

Jim Williamson of River City Company told the commission a 4,000-square-foot restaurant, including the patio, is planned at the “Cultural Porch” site. A smaller cafe would sit nearby, to the left of the restaurant. The plan also calls for “a new iconic shade structure and dining terrace” in the new dining area.

Rezoning documents describe the current space as an area that “works well for river-focused large events, but offers little to daily users.” Under the $45 million Ross’s Landing makeover, the plan is “to soften the stairs and upper level by adding grasses, seasonal plantings and shade trees,” creating a more “activated” site along Riverfront Parkway. A small pavilion, vendor hookups, public art and seating are also planned.

Why the zoning label matters

Both RPK and OS are open-space districts, so this is not a private development taking over park land. The change lines the parcel up with the rest of Ross’s Landing, which Hart said is already zoned Open Space. For buyers and owners downtown, the bigger story is the investment around it. A redesigned riverfront with daily food service gives the area a reason to draw people on ordinary weekdays, not just on festival nights.

Mill Town: lifting a residential-only condition

Case 2026-0122 asked the commission to lift Condition #2 of Ordinance #13715 on seven addresses: 1601, 1603, 1605, 1607 and 1611 S. Watkins, plus 2314 and 2316 E. 17th Street, all in City Council District 9. Staff recommended approval.

The Times Free Press reported that the commission “unanimously approved” the request “to lift conditions on several properties in his company’s Mill Town development to expand permitted uses beyond strictly residential.” Collier sits on the planning commission himself. A Times Free Press photo caption places him at the intersection of East 18th and South Watkins streets in the Mill Town development.

What a lifted condition does

In Chattanooga, a rezoning ordinance can carry conditions that narrow what the base zone allows. Removing one of those conditions does not change the zone on the map. It changes what can be built or operated on those lots within that zone. For neighbors, the practical question is which nonresidential uses the underlying zone permits now that the residential-only limit is set to come off. Ask the Regional Planning Agency for the ordinance text and the base-zone use table before assuming a shop, office or studio is allowed.

Also on the Oct. 12 agenda

Zoning code amendments: A resolution to amend the Chattanooga Zoning Ordinance, adopted as Ordinance Number 14137 on July 12, 2024, covering Article II (definitions), Article III (zones and zoning map), Article XIII (landscape) and Article IX (uses).
Chestnut Heights Phase 1: A county final plat, HCSD-26-41, for lots 1-41, 217-221, 292-300 and 305 at 3060 Bill Jones Road in Hamilton County District 7. Staff recommended approval with conditions.
1200 Grove Street: A mandatory referral for a city lease agreement (MR2026-0126) in District 9. Staff recommended approval.

In Chattanooga, the City Council has the final say on zoning ordinances, so watch future council agendas for both cases. For another rezoning on this week’s council docket, see Chattanooga Council Takes Up 3935 Cromwell Road Rezoning Oct. 13: RN-1-6 to C-N, Planning and Staff Recommend Approval.

What it means for Chattanooga homeowners

Downtown and Southside owners should watch the Ross’s Landing project as a long-term amenity. Better daily use of the riverfront, with food, shade and seating, is the kind of public investment buyers notice when they compare walkable neighborhoods. For context on other large projects south of downtown, read $130M Station 33 Breaks Ground on South Broad — Condos, Hotel, and Food Hall Coming to Chattanooga.

In District 9, the Mill Town change could bring small commercial uses closer to homes. Some buyers like a coffee shop or office at the end of the block. Others want a street that stays purely residential. If you own near S. Watkins or E. 17th Street and plan to sell, be ready to explain what changed and point buyers to the city record.

Either way, keep the case numbers handy. A buyer’s agent who can pull 2026-0120 or 2026-0122 in one search will have fewer questions at the closing table.

Key dates

Sept. 14, 2026 — Riverfront Parkway rezoning (2026-0120) deferred to October.
Oct. 12, 2026, 1:00 p.m. — Regional Planning Commission recommends the Ross’s Landing OS rezoning and approves lifting the Mill Town condition.
Next — Chattanooga City Council ordinance readings; watch council agendas for both case numbers.

Own a home near downtown Chattanooga or the Southside? Get a free home valuation, or ask for a cash offer if you want a firm number and your own timeline.

What did the Chattanooga planning commission decide about Ross’s Landing?

On October 12, 2026, the commission recommended approval of case 2026-0120, rezoning part of the 100 block of Riverfront Parkway from RPK River Parks and Open Space to OS Open Space, where River City Company plans two eateries.

Why does the Ross’s Landing parcel need rezoning?

Gail Hart, who oversees city real estate, said the parcel inadvertently was not zoned Open Space like the rest of Ross’s Landing, according to Chattanoogan.com.

What is planned at the Cultural Porch site?

River City Company’s Jim Williamson said a 4,000-square-foot restaurant, including the patio, is planned at the Cultural Porch site, with a smaller cafe nearby, as part of the $45 million Ross’s Landing makeover.

What changed for the Mill Town properties?

The commission unanimously approved Ethan Collier’s request to lift Condition #2 of Ordinance #13715 on properties on S. Watkins and E. 17th Street, expanding permitted uses beyond strictly residential, the Times Free Press reported.