As the Chattanooga City Council prepares for a vote on weakening pollution protections for South Chickamauga Creek, members of the public argued for and against the proposal at a council hearing Tuesday.
The city in 2014 adopted rules saying anyone building along the waterway must retain at least the first 1.6 inches of stormwater runoff to keep it out of the creek. Stormwater washes pollutants into the creek and contributes to erosion and sedimentation, which harms water quality and habitat for animals and plants.
Now homebuilders, developers and the real estate industry say those rules have hurt their business, helped push up building costs, and made homes less affordable and available in a market that desperately needs more housing. They say reducing the retention level to 1 inch will still protect the creek, especially with other changes the city is considering to its runoff rules.
Defenders of the creek, though, say the damaged waterway needs the extra protection, and that all the developers want to lower is their own costs for building.
Representatives of both groups spoke to the council at the public hearing, led by the side that wants to reduce the retained runoff to 1 inch.