The Hamilton County Commission is nearing consideration of a proposal to separate the body responsible for making zoning decisions into separate groups — one for Chattanooga and one for the rest of county.
Commissioner Jeff Eversole, an Ooltewah Republican running for reelection in his district that includes Collegedale and unincorporated areas like Georgetown, announced the plan Monday in a Facebook post.
The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission boasts 15 members who serve on a volunteer basis for staggered three-year terms. Half the members are appointed by the Chattanooga mayor to represent the interests of the city, while the other half are appointed by the Hamilton County mayor to represent county interests, with a presiding chair appointed by both elected leaders.
Eversole’s resolution would dissolve that panel and create the Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission, which he said would have nine members.
“There’s a net zero additions cost,” Eversole wrote in a Facebook comment beneath his post, responding to pushback that increased bureaucracy would result in increased costs for taxpayers. “The plan goes from having 15 current commissioners to a new total of 9. All of these positions are volunteer, and the transfer of work will net out to neutral.”
He added that the contract with the Regional Planning Agency will stay in place for the purpose of the agency running daily operations.
The resolution includes a provision to continue coordination with the city and provide for a transition period before the new board is officially established.
If the plan finds sufficient support among the County Commission, it would fulfill a longstanding wish for some unincorporated Hamilton County residents who feel that zoning issues in their neighborhoods consistently take a back seat compared to matters concerning the city.
“We are not represented well,” Kim Helton, a resident of the Ooltewah area, said in a phone interview. “We’re there four or five hours before county business comes up sometimes. The county is pushed to the side.”
Helton is a member of the Hamilton County Citizens for Responsible Development, a group that has opposed Planning Commission decisions to increase density in unincorporated neighborhoods. For Helton’s group, the new commission would also be a chance to lobby for bylaws restricting developers, builders and real estate agents from serving as board members, something they believe has driven increased development throughout the county.
“If more than a majority profit from development, then it’s all self-regulatory,” she said.
(READ MORE: James Walker to run for Hamilton County school board again)
Eversole’s resolution will be introduced during the County Commission meeting at 4 p.m. Wednesday on the fourth floor of the Courthouse, 625 Georgia Ave. The final vote will be Dec. 17 at the same time and place.
Live streams of County Commission meetings are available on the Hamilton County YouTube channel.
Contact growth and development reporter Raymon Troncoso rtroncoso@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6317.