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New White Oak Plan offers options in place of policies

Travis Kazmierzak, a senior planner with the RPA, talks to attendees during a meeting to present the organization's draft plan for managing growth throughout the White Oak Mountain area on Feb. 15. (Staff photo by Myron Madden)
Travis Kazmierzak, a senior planner with the RPA, talks to attendees during a meeting to present the organization's draft plan for managing growth throughout the White Oak Mountain area on Feb. 15. (Staff photo by Myron Madden) Travis Kazmierzak, a senior planner with the RPA, talks to attendees during a meeting to present the organization's draft plan for managing growth throughout the White Oak Mountain area on Feb. 15. (Staff photo by Myron Madden)

By Myron Madden 4 min read

After receiving feedback from stakeholders involved with the area’s comprehensive growth plan, local planners have made a series of major revisions to the draft.

The bulk of the revisions revolve around the document’s policy recommendations, which are meant to serve as a guide for the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission when making decisions about the future of the White Oak Mountain Area, such as whether to approve or deny a zoning case. The White Oak Mountain Area is defined as East Brainerd, Collegedale, Ooltewah, Apison and Summit.

photo John Bridger, left, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency executive director

As currently proposed, the revisions would change those recommendations from a prescriptive set of guidelines, to an assortment of options meant to be used primarily for informational purposes by the developer and community.

The options, which include pros, cons and alternatives for consideration, would give developers more flexibility, said John Bridger, executive director of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency.

“Rather than us saying ‘You need to do this,’ it’s information for their use and they can decide how they want to use it. It’s more like, ‘Here are some [suggestions] to consider when you’re putting together a project,'” he explained.