Planning board denies request for Ooltewah homeless development

May 9, 2016 at 5:38 p.m. | Updated May 10, 2016 at 2:30 a.m.

by Dave Flessner

Rev. Barry Kidwell and his daughter, Kathleen, feed rabbits at the farm owned by Mustard Tree Ministries. Kidwell is seeking a planned unit development to build 32 tiny houses to rent for his homeless ministry.
Rev. Barry Kidwell and his daughter, Kathleen, feed rabbits at the farm owned by Mustard Tree Ministries. Kidwell is seeking a planned unit development to build 32 tiny houses to rent for his homeless ministry.

City and county planners today voted to deny a request by Mustard Tree Ministries to build a community of tiny homes on an Ooltewah farm.

By a 13-2 vote, the Chattanooga/Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission recommended against the proposed planned unit development that would add 32 tiny homes on a 16.8-acre farm. The homeless ministry wanted to use the site of the former Lighthouse United Methodist Church to provide affordable housing near a working farm operated by Mustard Tree.

More than 1,800 area residents signed petitions against the project.

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