The County Commission approved a special permit for a trailer on Ooltewah-Ringgold Road, and one local real estate agent implied it was because the property owner works for the county.
“I do feel I’ve got the deck stacked against me a little bit here,” Russ Elliott said during the commission meeting. “If I’m not mistaken I think this gentleman may work for the county.”
Mr. Elliott was the only person at the meeting who spoke against the permit.
Commissioner Warren Mackey batted down Mr. Elliott’s suggestions that planners gave special consideration to Alan Knowles, who works for the county’s Public Works Department and also is the son of County Clerk Bill Knowles.
Mr. Mackey bristled at the implication.
“It kind of impugns and makes certain implications to make that kind of statement,” Mr. Mackey said. “I want to assure you that he or no other Hamilton County employee will get special treatment coming before this body.”
The commission ultimately approved the permit for a trailer at 3737 Ooltewah-Ringgold Road.
Commissioner Bill Hullander recommended the commission approve the permit on the condition that Mr. Knowles add more trees to shield the trailer from view. Greg Haynes, director of the Regional Planning Agency’s Zoning and Subdivision Office said the RPA, which makes recommendations on zoning issues, signed off on the project because it is hidden from view.
After the vote, Mr. Elliott said the trailer was out of place for the area. He said he lives in the subdivision across the street from the property.
“I’m just surprised that no one voted against it,” he said. “To allow a mobile home in an area where there’s no mobile homes goes against the character of the area.”
Mr. Knowles said working for the county meant his proposal was more heavily scrutinized.
Also, at the end of the meeting, Mr. Mackey scolded a Board of Education member about comments she made about communication between the commission and the school system. In a newspaper story, Janice Boydston suggested commissioners should run for the school board if they are interested in knowing every detail about how the system operates.
Mr. Mackey on Wednesday described the comment as “snide” and said the school board and commission should work together to strengthen the school board.
Ms. Boydston said she didn’t mean to be snide and intended her statement to apply to anyone interested in knowing about the details of the school board. She said she doesn’t expect to be told everything that happens in the school system.
“I can understand how they took that,” she said. “It was not intended that way.”
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