Cooper: Cowart Project Becomes A Little Messy

The Chattanooga City Council’s recent unanimous approval of a seven-story apartment on the Southside, despite the disapproval of the Regional Planning Agency, became a little more interesting Thursday when it was revealed the engineer who represented the project before the council is also a member of the host committee for a brunch for the re-election of Councilman Chris Anderson.

Anderson, in whose district the Cowart street lot is located, made the motion for the council to approve the building and had only praise for it.

“I hope it’s the beginning of a trend where we start building up,” he said last month, referring to restrictions that have limited the height of downtown buildings. “We’ve created the sprawl that now plagues us.”

Both the planning staff of the Regional Planning Agency and planning commissioners were against the $25 million project because its 75-foot height violated height restrictions in the area.

Ethically, of course, there’s nothing wrong with a councilman taking a liking to a project in his district or having the engineer, Mike Price, who represents the project for Knoxville-based Belle Development Group, serve as one of the hosts for his re-election campaign fundraiser. But, as a complaint filed with the city attorney’s office by activist Helen Burns Sharp notes, a disclosure of the linkage before the City Council vote and Price’s $500 contribution to Anderson’s campaign – like other host committee members made – would have been prudent.

The council will act upon the complaint at its next scheduled meeting.

In the meantime, despite Anderson’s claim that “the overwhelming number of residents in the neighborhood are in favor of the project,” significant opposition from neighborhood residents and the likes of longtime Southside developer Thomas Johnson and downtown advocate and architect Stroud Watson developed. Amendments to the project because of the complaints were approved by the council. But because of the substantial changes, the plans will require another council vote. Yet, the project remains seven stories, still appreciably higher than the city code for the neighborhood allows.

What will the City Council tell the next developer who wants a variance? How many variances equal a mess?

If the city is ready to “start building up,” it’s time to change the regulations that says it can’t