IF YOU GO
What: Planning commission meetingWhere: Fourth floor meeting chamber, Hamilton County Courthouse, 625 Georgia Ave.When: 1 p.m.FOR MORE INFORMATIONRead a complete draft, revisions to the form-based code and see a complete map of 2,900 affected downtown properties by form-based code changes at www.cha-fbc.com.CONTACTEmail regional planners with form-based code questions or concerns at rezoning@chattanooga.gov, or call 423-643-5948.
Franklin McCallie is 75 years old, and after having guests over to his Southside home, frequently walks them three or four blocks back to their parked cars because there is nowhere to park on the street.
He and his wife, Tresa, sometimes make the same walk with their groceries. And they believe the city ought to do more to protect parking availability downtown.
But a major overhaul of downtown zoning laws that is up for a vote today in the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission would lower the number of parking spaces now required for downtown projects.
Developers and builders like John Wise and Arch Willingham support the city leaving parking out of downtown zoning rules. They say requiring parking could make downtown development unaffordable, and that good development and bank requirements will take care of parking at new projects.