Council members spent a sustained portion of the workshop discussing a 225.25-acre annexation and planned-unit development (PUD) petition filed by 452 Properties LLC (Hillwood-related). The parcel sits east of I-40 along Mona Road and includes proposed C2 and I2 use areas and maximum square-footage caps the developer is proposing for large commercial and industrial components.

Kevin, staff planning manager, said the developer revised its filing to address prior planning commission comments and planned additional community engagement. Paul Reinke, representing 452 Properties LLC, briefed council on progress: he said the developer had updated the project packet, planned another planning commission appearance the week after the workshop, and expected a signed utility agreement with Cumberland Utility District (CUD) no earlier than CUD's Nov. 17 or Nov. 18 board meeting.

Several council members said they expect to see a signed utility agreement from CUD and Hillwood before the town moves the item to first reading. "I want to see that agreement before we ever do anything in planning," one councilmember said. Another councilmember noted planning could technically proceed and that council retains discretion on first and second readings, but a number of members called the timeline tight and urged staff and the developer not to assume slippage.

Council members raised technical questions still outstanding in staff comments: traffic impacts on Mona Road and Jefferson Pike, fire and police response distances, stormwater and buffering, and whether the town's cost estimates for public improvements included inflation or were nominal. Planning staff confirmed remaining technical comments and said the planning commission agenda would include a resubmittal as of the workshop.

No formal vote was taken on the annexation or rezoning at the workshop. Staff said CUD would likely not have a signed, executed agreement before the council's Nov. 13 meeting and that planning would still meet for its Nov. 6 hearing. Multiple councilmembers said they intended to defer or not advance the item further until they could review a final, signed utility agreement and the developer's responses to staff technical comments.