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The Greene County Planning Commission gave final approval Thursday to phase 2A of the Hensley Air Park, a real estate development surrounding a landing strip in Chuckey.

Developer Ted Hensley presented the plans, which showed 16 acres divided into 10 residential lots on one side of an aircraft landing strip. The lots are served by two new subdivision roads.

Ronda Sawyer, the county’s new staff planner, said she was surprised to find the airstrip when she visited the site. She said the request meets all the county’s subdivision requirements. She recommended approval.

Sawyer said her only concern was the angle at which one of the subdivision’s streets intersects with Chuckey Pike, but said she does not believe that will be a problem.

The subdivision is actually a planned unit development, or PUD, which is an arrangement whereby some requirements are waived, because the overall development offers amenities or features held in common (often maintained through a property owners’ association) that benefit all residents.

In this case, the amenity is the aircraft landing strip. Sawyer said some “mixed uses” such a business would be possible in a PUD.

Planning Commissioner Sam Riley noted that the site is “pretty flat,” and wondered if septic systems will work there.

Engineer Bill Onkst of Azimuth Engineering said concerns about whether septic systems would “perk” was the reason that all the lots are at least an acre, and most are an acre and a half.

Onkst said health officials have been involved since the planning stage because of concerns about whether septic systems would work well there.

Hensley said soil testing was done before other design work.

Approval by the planning commission was unanimous, subject to approval by the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation, which is the agency that approves septic systems.

Sawyer noted that only one house and one small hangar have been built to date in the subdivision. The landing strip, which was formerly grass, has recently been paved.

Hensley said that three lots have been sold. He said the subdivision is “heavily restricted,” and only licensed pilots will be allowed to purchase lots. The community will be gated as development proceeds, Hensley said.

The two roads within the subdivision will be private, he said.

Sawyer said she expects the development to be “very upscale.” Hensley said the price of the smallest lot is $60,000.