Eileen Robertson Rehberg
David Eichenthal

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Despite recent reported increases in Chattanooga’s population and a steady city share of the Hamilton County tax base, a report by the Community Research Council finds new local development is continuing to occur at a faster pace in unincorporated parts of the county.

“Given the increase of population in the city, and given the clear indication from the Volkswagen decision last week, we as a community now are growing,” said David Eichenthal, president of the locally based council. “The question becomes, ‘How do we grow?’”

The study’s findings indicate more than just a concern of increasing sprawl, according to Mr. Eichenthal. The report also calls into question city and county planning in terms of return on investment, he said.

Developers put in roads and sometimes even sidewalks, but no one is asking how the increased development affects future road adequacy or maintenance costs, the report states. Likewise, no one is asking how the new development affects present and future school construction needs, the report says.

Mr. Eichenthal and report author Dr. Eileen Robertson Rehbert said the report points up “the types of information policy makers and the public need to know about some of the fiscal implications of land-use petitions in the county.”

Sometimes the neglect of inner-city infrastructure needs and omissions in unincorporated-area planning simply are because of a lack of communication, Dr. Rehbert said.

“Sometimes there are not enough people at the table making those decisions jointly,” she said.

The two said they hope the new report, which contains no recommendations beyond more study and questions for policy makers, will help jump-start needed conversations everywhere from the neighborhood and homeowner associations to the City Council and County Commission.

Not everyone is pleased with the report.

Julian Bell Sr., a developer who participated in the roundtable discussion that was part of the research for the report, bristled at the suggestion that more questions might lead to additional oversight or restricted development.

“That would be the dumbest thing they could do,” Mr. Bell said. “All that would do is run them (new or relocating residents) to another county.”

Mayor Ron Littlefield said he was pleased with findings that showed more residential growth has occurred in the city in the most-recent years. But, like Mr. Bell, he questioned some of the report’s other assertions, including statements suggesting that not enough thought goes into school locations and sizes at the front end of development.

“I’ve been in meetings where such things were discussed, and we’ve put two new elementary schools downtown,” the mayor said.

City Council member Carol Berz, who also participated in the roundtable discussion for the research report, said local officials and planners need to look at the total cost of development — “the tangibles and intangibles.”

She described the roundtable discussion as “fascinating,” and she said the group realized that economic and environmental concerns were very similar.

“As a City Council person, it’s in my mind now when I disapprove or approve something that comes before me,” she said. “And we don’t just need plans for five years. Life happens faster than that now.”

Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey could not be reached for comment Monday. His chief of staff, Jeannine Alday, said through her secretary that she would not have time to read the report or comment before Wednesday.

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