The Chattanooga City Council next week will hear a proposal to change the name of a portion of Missionary Ridge’s South Crest Road, an alteration that local officials say would make it easier for emergency responders to find homes.
But Dwayne Smith, who lives at 164 S. Crest Road, said response time always has been quick there, and changing his and other property owners’ addresses would decrease their property values.
“When people think of buying a home on Missionary Ridge, they think of South Crest Road,” he said in an interview.
However, John Stuermer, executive director of the Hamilton County Emergency Communications District, said it is important to change the portion of road so that first responders are able to locate residents in case of an emergency.
“In the name of public safety it’s the right thing to do,” Mr. Stuermer said during the Chattanooga City Council’s Public Works Committee meeting Tuesday afternoon.
Lee Norris, deputy administrator of Public Works, said officials want to change the portion of South Crest Road that runs into Bragg Reservation to the 3100 and 3200 blocks of Bragg Reservation Way. He said officials support the alteration so emergency responders do not get confused with the longer section of South Crest Road that runs between Interstate 24 and the state border.
“It’s about making sure that if somebody needs emergency services that our responders can find the residents,” Mr. Norris said.
The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission voted for denial of the proposed change at its February meeting, according to minutes. The City Council is expected to hear the issue at Tuesday’s 6 p.m. full council meeting.
Mr. Smith said he will attend to oppose the proposal, which he said would affect a few other existing homeowners and the future residents of a planned townhouse development.
Mr. Smith said the street name change also would force him to update many legal documents.
“These people in Public Works, they think all you’ve got to do is call and change your magazine subscriptions,” Mr. Smith said.
Chattanooga Police Chief Freeman Cooper told council members at the committee meeting that while the proposed changes are not popular, they would be made to improve safety.
“For sentimental reasons, (residents) want these things to stay the same, and this is not the last one you’re going to get,” Chief Cooper said.
In other business Tuesday, the City Council approved a new transportation board ordinance on the first of two readings. The ordinance will come back before the council for the second and final vote next week.
Among other changes to city code, the ordinance would replace the existing taxi and horse carriage board with a transportation board that also would regulate limousines, sedans, pedicabs, Segways and other types of vehicles for hire.
TRANSPORTATION BOARD
A new transportation board, which would replace the city’s existing taxi and horse carriage board, would be made up of two taxi industry members, two members from other transportation services and five at-large representatives, officials have said.
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