Photo 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.Ooltewah residents recently suffered a classic case of NIMBY-ism – a not-in-my-back-yard reaction to a proposal to help homeless people get on their feet again.
You know – homeless folks like we often see around the soon-to-be-extinct fountain at Miller Park in downtown Chattanooga.
Meanwhile, downtown dwellers are having a similar reaction to change (this one a-not-in-my-parking-place – NIMPP-ism) reaction as developers who already benefit from tax breaks ostensibly to provide affordable (usually not) housing also hope to spend less money if they don’t have to provide parking accommodations in next year’s development proposals.
So prepare for a continuing clash or two in coming months – starting with the homeless ministry that wanted to use a Snow Hill farm where it raises vegetables, chickens and rabbits to also help build a community of almost three dozen tiny homes to provide low-cost housing for those rebuilding their lives. Not surprisingly, current Ooltewah residents asked local planners to block any building of 300-square foot homes there.
Meanwhile, in downtown Chattanooga, street corners are awash with new construction of tiny apartments and condos like the 350-square-foot apartment renovations of hotel rooms at the Chattanooga Choo Choo. Think of it: taxpayer-subsidized hotel room-sized apartments for a not-so-affordable $750 a month.