Annexation foes file more lawsuits

An anti-annexation group filed its second round of lawsuits Thursday to stop Chattanooga from taking in more territory.

Hamilton County Residents Against Annexation filed lawsuits in Hamilton County Chancery Court to block annexation of a residential area east of Morris Hill Road in East Brainerd and a mainly commercial area along Hunter Road in Ooltewah.

Residents Against Annexation board member Bill Reesor said Thursday that the group spent the week gathering plaintiffs for the potential court battle.

"We've had to track several of them down because we don't want to leave anybody out," Mr. Reesor said, "including commercial."

Mayor Ron Littlefield said Thursday the lawsuits were expected.

"It delays the inevitable," Mr. Littlefield said. "We'll continue on and let it continue in the courts."

Two areas off Interstate 75 near Enterprise South became part of the city today when no plaintiffs from those areas joined the lawsuit.

The residents group last week filed two lawsuits to block the annexation of the Ramsgate development and an area off Big Ridge Road in Hixson. The lawsuits could come next week to protect commercial areas in the Summit area off Old Lee Highway, members said.

David Buuck, the Knoxville attorney representing the anti-annexation group, and Kyle Holden, president of Hamilton County Residents Against Annexation, could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Mr. Reesor said the group is now looking into the legality of an annexation between Old Lee Highway and Interstate 75 that the City Council approved on a 6-3 vote Tuesday.

This was the second vote for that area. Council members voted almost a month ago not to annex, but changed their minds Tuesday after city administrators said the area would grow because of Volkswagen.

Council members Russell Gilbert, Peter Murphy and Deborah Scott voted against the measure.

Mr. Reesor said Hamilton County Residents Against Annexation is looking into that vote reversal.

"We don't know if that's legal to do that," he said. "We're checking into it."

LAWSUITS

Annexed areas included in lawsuit:

* Area east of Morris Hill Road

* Commercial area off Hunter Road in Ooltewah

Annexed areas not included in lawsuit

* Area adjacent to Interstate 75 and Relocation Way

* Area next to Interstate 75 and Enterprise South industrial park

Potential suits:

* Two areas of commercial areas in the Summit area