Approval time for the new Hamilton plan is approaching

Residents will have two to three weeks to study the new Hamilton plan, now 75 percent complete, and provide feedback to county officials.

The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Authority will present the Hamilton plan to the Regional Planning Commission in November. If approved, it will go to the county commission for approval in December. A similar plan for Chattanooga is imminent and could be approved by the City Council in January.

Plan Hamilton takes into account the limitations of the sewer system, roads and volunteer fire departments and recommends where housing, commercial space, parks and industry should be located.

The county strives to enable responsible growth without desperation, Hamilton County Development Services Director Nathan Janeway said at Wednesday’s Friends of Hixson meeting.

“Obviously a lot of people don’t like growth,” he said. “Developers love growth because that’s their job.”

Plan Hamilton was developed by consultant Ragan-Smith Associates.

Parallel to the plan, a new zoning ordinance will add layers of more specific designations within zones and open up options for modern multi-use zoning and modern regulation.

The regulation recommends that applications to rezone agricultural land to residential areas be approved unless limited by steep slopes or inadequate roads.

Plan Hamilton recommends commercial hubs that would consolidate gas stations, grocery stores, hair salons and the like into one location on a state highway where there are already established businesses. Designating commercial areas along a road leads to traffic congestion, he said.

“We would like to see commercial growth here,” Mr Janeway said.

Commercial growth will be a large source of tax revenue in lieu of increasing property taxes, but currently most commercial growth occurs within city limits, Mr. Janeway said.

RPA Deputy Director Karen Rennich told the crowd that Hamilton County expects to add 60,000 more jobs by 2030 and 46,000 more homes by 2040.

Mr. Janeway said half of the county’s growth is “organic,” meaning people having children and staying in Hamilton County.

“The other half are people who move here because it’s a nice place to live,” whether for political, tax or aesthetic reasons, he said.

“We’re in catch-up mode,” he said.

Mr. Janeway pointed out that the county government does not have as many tools and powers to manage suburban growth as the city. He reiterated that Hamilton County’s taxes are among the lowest in the state and Tennessee’s are among the lowest in the country. While the county doesn’t plan to increase taxes, it could explore ways to shift some infrastructure spending to developers, he said.

Ms. Rennich said existing commercial corridors, such as those along Highway 153 and Hixson Pike near Northgate, would be filled with townhouses and senior housing communities.

Chester Frost Park

“In my opinion it is the best park in Hamilton County,” Mr. Janeway said.

The district administration wants to make the lake accessible to more than just campers. Four air-conditioned yurts opened for rent in August.

A new zoning designation would allow resort recreational facilities such as a camp store and mid-sized lodging and hotels on any property larger than 50 acres, with a 30 percent density limit.

Growth in Ooltewah, Birchwood and Sale Creek

Sale Creek relies entirely on septic tanks, which Janeway said will prevent growth there, as well as poor fire response times and overburdened schools.

Ooltewah, on the other hand, is seeing the strongest growth in the county, he said.

North and west of the river, the Middle Valley and Lakesite could accommodate much more capacity in the coming years thanks to good roads, sewer and fire departments, he said.

Middle Valley Rd

Mr Janeway said congestion on Middle Valley Road was a medium-sized issue that would be addressed over the next five years.

The county has set up a $5.8 million road fund that it will use to apply for grants, multiplying the money. A roundabout cost about $2.5 million, he said.

Rainwater drainage

Mr. Janeway said the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has been inundated with stormwater requests and the county is trying to help.

“We’re trying to address some of these issues,” he said. Developers are now required to plan for outflows beyond their own development and property owners are set to benefit over the next six months, he said.

“It should get a lot better,” he said.