Johnson City

Johnson City Planning Commission Weighs Keebler Meadows Phase 2 and 48-Lot Saxon Heights Tonight

The Johnson City Regional Planning Commission meets Oct. 13, 2026, on a Keebler Meadows Phase 2 preliminary plat along Suncrest Drive and a 48-lot Saxon Heights plat off Antioch and Woodhill roads. Staff recommends approval of both. Sewer capacity limits Keebler to 65 homes until downstream work is

Tracy King

13 Oct 2026 • 6 min read

Johnson City planners review two single-family subdivision plats on Oct. 13, 2026. Illustrative photo.

The Johnson City Regional Planning Commission meets at 6:00 p.m. today, Oct. 13, 2026, in the Commission Chambers of the Municipal and Safety Building at 601 E. Main Street. Two single-family subdivision plats lead the new-business list: Keebler Meadows Phase 2 along Suncrest Drive and Saxon Heights, a 48-lot plat off Antioch Drive. City staff recommends approval of both.

The bigger of the two comes with a limit. The Keebler Meadows staff report says current sewer capacity will hold the development to 65 dwelling units until downstream improvements are working. The expected completion date for that work is August 1, 2027. The report also requires street improvements to Sam Jenkins Road before final plat approval.

The two subdivisions at a glance

Item	Keebler Meadows Phase 2	Saxon Heights
Application	PLPP202600201	PLPP202600164
Applicant / owner	Gary Waddell / Landstar Group LLC	Scott Bergendahl / Beulah L Snyder Rose
Location	Suncrest Drive	Antioch Drive (access from Antioch Road and Woodhill Road)
Acreage	57.54 acres, 16.40 acres open space	24.64 acres, 5.38 acres open space
Lots	255 (agenda summary) / 225 (staff report)	48
Zoning	RP-3, Planned Residential	RP-2, Planned Residential
Conditions noted	65-unit sewer cap until downstream work (expected August 1, 2027); Sam Jenkins Road improvements before final plat	Water and sewer available
Staff recommendation	Approve	Approve

Keebler Meadows Phase 2: two lot counts in one packet

The agenda lists item 7.4 as a Keebler Meadows Phase 2 preliminary plat “for a 255-lot subdivision along Suncrest Drive.” The agenda summary repeats that number: surveyor Gary Waddell is asking for a preliminary plat along Suncrest Drive “for a 255-lot subdivision for single family homes.”

The staff report a few pages later gives a different count. For application PLPP202600201, with Landstar Group LLC as owner, it says Phase 2 covers 57.54 acres with 16.40 acres of open space and “contains 225 single family lots.” The packet does not reconcile the two figures. Buyers and neighbors should treat 255 as the agenda-summary number and 225 as the staff-report number until the commission’s action or the recorded plat settles it.

Either way, the first wave is smaller. The staff report says current sewer service capacity will limit the development to 65 dwelling units until downstream improvements are operational, with an expected completion date of August 1, 2027. Street improvements to Sam Jenkins Road must be completed before final plat approval.

Streets, lots and open space

Phase 2 is zoned RP-3, Planned Residential, which the report says has a minimum lot size of 4,000 square feet. Front setbacks are 10 feet, but front-facing garages need a minimum setback of 25 feet on all streets. The subdivision needs 15% open space, with 7.5% of that set aside as active space. The applicant proposes a common area and a field play area.

The street plan adds a second way in. The report says Phase 2 streets include an extension of Edison Road to meet Delmar Salts Road, “to provide an additional access point into the subdivision.” Another new street, Buckets Drive, runs from Edison Road and stubs to an adjacent 17.04-acre parcel on the northeast side. Stub streets like that one often show where the next phase could connect.

Earlier phases already moving

Keebler Meadows is not new to the commission. The minutes from the July 14, 2026, meeting, included in tonight’s packet for approval, show commissioners approved the Phase 1C final plat and a bond for $338,000, carried 9-0. Bond reductions for Phases 1A and 1B were also approved 9-0 that night.

Saxon Heights: 48 lots between Antioch and Woodhill

Item 7.3 is Saxon Heights, application PLPP202600164. Scott Bergendahl is the applicant and Beulah L Snyder Rose is listed as owner. The staff report describes 24.64 acres with 5.38 acres of open space and 48 lots for future single-family homes in the RP-2 Planned Residential district.

Two new public streets are proposed. Saxon Drive would give access from Antioch Road, and Dresden Circle would give access from Woodhill Road. Water and sewer are available. The open-space plan includes walking trails, a playground and benches. Staff recommends approval because the plat meets the city’s subdivision ordinance.

The rest of tonight’s agenda

201 E Watauga Avenue (7.1, public hearing): Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church of JC Inc. asks to rezone 0.42 acres from RO-1 to MS-1. The change would raise maximum lot coverage from 35% to 50% for a church addition.
0 Newton Street (7.2): Tyler McCoy, surveyor, seeks a four-lot single-family preliminary plat in R-2 with no new road.
Davis Replat (7.5): Simon Townsend of TN Professional Surveying seeks four single-family lots along Lake Drive Extension in R-2.
Hayes Estates Phase II (7.6): Steven Lyons, surveyor, seeks a seven-lot final plat at 512 Claude Simmons Road.

What it means for Johnson City homeowners

For owners near Suncrest Drive, the key figure is 65, not 225 or 255. Until the downstream sewer work is done, the staff report holds Keebler Meadows Phase 2 to 65 homes, so new supply will arrive in steps through 2027. Sellers in older neighborhoods nearby will compete with builder spec homes and incentives, but not with hundreds of finished homes at once.

Traffic is the other issue. The Edison Road link to Delmar Salts Road and the Sam Jenkins Road condition will change how people get in and out of the area. If you live near Suncrest, also see Johnson City Signal Project Rises $230,000: Six Intersections Get Mast Arms, Gray Gets a New Signal.

Saxon Heights adds 48 lots in a smaller footprint. If you own on Antioch or Woodhill, buyers will ask where Saxon Drive and Dresden Circle tie in and whether construction traffic will use your street. Keep the plat number handy when they ask. For context on new-home pricing in the county, read Gray TN Subdivisions Approved as New-Home Prices Rise 3.8%.

Preliminary plat approval is not a building permit. Each phase still needs construction plans, bonds and a final plat. Track the commission’s vote tonight, then watch for final-plat items on future agendas.

Key dates

July 14, 2026 — Commission approves Keebler Meadows Phase 1C final plat and $338,000 bond (9-0).
Oct. 13, 2026, 6:00 p.m. — Johnson City Regional Planning Commission, 601 E. Main Street: Keebler Meadows Phase 2, Saxon Heights and four other items.
August 1, 2027 — Expected completion of the downstream sewer improvements that lift the 65-unit cap on Keebler Meadows Phase 2.

Own a home in north Johnson City or near Suncrest Drive? Get a free home valuation, or ask for a cash offer if you want a firm number before new construction hits the market.

When does the Johnson City Planning Commission review Keebler Meadows Phase 2?

The Johnson City Regional Planning Commission meets Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the Commission Chambers at 601 E. Main Street. Keebler Meadows Phase 2 is item 7.4 on the agenda.

How many lots are in Keebler Meadows Phase 2?

The packet gives two numbers. The agenda and agenda summary describe a 255-lot subdivision. The staff report says Phase 2 contains 225 single-family lots on 57.54 acres with 16.40 acres of open space.

Why is Keebler Meadows limited to 65 homes?

The staff report says current sewer service capacity will limit the development to 65 dwelling units until downstream improvements are operational, with an expected completion date of August 1, 2027.

Where is Saxon Heights and how many lots does it have?

Saxon Heights is a 48-lot plat on 24.64 acres along Antioch Drive, zoned RP-2. Saxon Drive would connect to Antioch Road and Dresden Circle to Woodhill Road.

Staff recommends approval of both preliminary plats, saying each meets the requirements of the Johnson City subdivision ordinance.