Nathan Janeway
Local residents have two or three weeks to study the new Plan Hamilton, now 75 percent complete, and give feedback to county officials.
The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency will present Plan Hamilton to the Regional Planning Commission in November. If approved it will be sent to the County Commission for approval in December. A similar Plan Chattanooga is right on its heels, with possible City Council approval in January.
Plan Hamilton considers limitations of the sewer system, roads and volunteer fire departments, and recommends where to add housing, commercial zoning, parks and industry.
The county aims to allow responsible growth without exasperation, said Hamilton County Director of Development Services Nathan Janeway at the Friends of Hixson meeting Wednesday.
“Obviously, a lot of people don’t like growth,” he said. “Developers love growth because that’s their job.”
Plan Hamilton has been developed by consultant Ragan-Smith Associates.
In tandem with the plan, a new zoning ordinance will add layers of more specific designations within zones and open up options for modern multi-use zones and modern regulation.
The ordinance recommends approving rezoning requests from agricultural to residential zoning, unless constrained by steep slopes or inadequate roads.
Plan Hamilton recommends commercial nodes which would consolidate gas stations, grocery stores, hair salons and the like in one place on a state route that already has established businesses. Stringing commercial zoning out along a road creates traffic congestion, he said.
“That’s where we would like to see that commercial growth happen,” Mr. Janeway said.
Commercial growth will be a big source of tax revenue in place of raising property taxes, but currently most commercial growth is in the city limits, Mr. Janeway said.
RPA Deputy Director Karen Rennich told the crowd that Hamilton County expects 60,000 more jobs by 2030 and 46,000 more households by 2040.
Mr. Janeway said that half of the county’s growth is “organic,” or people having children who stay in Hamilton County.
“The other half is people moving here because it’s a nice place to live,” he said, whether for political, tax or aesthetic reasons, he said.
“We’re in catch-up mode,” he said.
Mr. Janeway pointed out that county government doesn’t have as many tools or powers to manage suburban growth as the city does. He reiterated that Hamilton County taxes are some of the lowest in the state, and Tennessee taxes are some of the lowest in the country. Though the county has no plans to raise taxes, he said, it may explore ways to transfer some infrastructure expenses to developers.
Ms. Rennich said existing commercial corridors, such as along Highway 153 and Hixson Pike near Northgate, will be filled in with townhomes and senior residential development.
Chester Frost Park
“In my opinion it’s the best park in Hamilton County,” Mr. Janeway said.
County officials want to make the lake accessible to more than just campers. It opened four air-conditioned yurts for rent in August.
A new zoning designation would allow resort recreation amenities such as a camp store and mid-sized lodging and hotels on any parcel more than 50 acres, with a 30 percent density constraint.
Growth in Ooltewah, Birchwood and Sale Creek
Sale Creek is all on septic, which Mr. Janeway said will prevent growth there, along with poor fire response times and at-capacity schools.
Ooltewah, on the other hand, has the most growth in the county, he said.
North and west of the river, good roads, sewer access and fire service mean Middle Valley and Lakesite can absorb much more capacity in the coming years, he said.
Middle Valley Road
Mr. Janeway said Middle Valley Road congestion is a mid-tier problem that will be addressed in the next five years.
The county has set up a $5.8-million road fund, which it will use to apply for grants, multiplying the money. One roundabout costs about $2.5 million, he said.
Stormwater Runoff
Mr. Janeway said the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has been overrun with stormwater requests, and the county is trying to help.
“We’re trying to address some of those issues,” he said. Developers are now required to plan for runoff beyond their own development, and property owners should see benefits in the next six months, he said.
“It should get a lot better,” he said.