City to Vote on Annexation of 22 Acres on East-West Parkway Monday

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson City Council will vote on first reading on an ordinance to annex 22 acres on the East-West Parkway for a planned development district, including eight of the acres for 80 low-income senior multi-family housing units at Monday’s 6 p.m. meeting in the county chambers.

No details are available for the remaining 14 acres, which are split into a pair of parcels facing the parkway, but like the rest of the development will be required to meet city development standards including landscaping and tree preservation and 100-foot setback from the road. The city has written that sidewalks and/or pedestrian connectivity will be incorporated into the property.

Approval by council will require two readings. More details and full meeting agenda here.

The city’s recently approved Comprehensive Plan would allow mixed commercial and retail development of any properties annexed along the parkway, including the currently considered 22 acres and multiple properties at the Concord Road/parkway intersection.

Development along the parkway has been a topic of broad conversation in the community, and Anderson County Council recently passed a resolution opposing development on the parkway where residents were given such assurances when the parkway was built beginning in 2011 (the East-West Parkway opened for traffic in Nov. 2013.) County Councilman Chris Sullivan, who represents the district which covers the parkway, recently wrote an oped asking the city to reconsider new development.

County council, which is currently revising its own development standards for the county, remains uniformly against eliminating green space along the parkway, but has no authority over property annexed into the city.

City council has also scheduled a work session on the 2025-2026 budget at 5 p.m. Monday.