The Hamilton County Commission planned to vote Wednesday on whether to lay the legal groundwork to allow hotels and other commercial development in rural parts of the county, a measure opposed by groups saying they don’t want to see country clubs, cell towers and private resorts on parkland.
But Republican Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp is now looking to pull the proposal seeking to “allow and encourage resorts, hotels, conference centers and associated uses to locate in a rural setting with natural amenities.”
Haley Burton, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office, said in an email that Wamp requested that the commission withdraw the resolution.
“We have heard the feedback from people wanting us to preserve the beauty of Hamilton County,” Wamp said in a statement. “We understand that, and we are currently implementing a planning department that will better manage growth across our county, which is why I asked to have the resolution pulled.”
In March the commission voted to allow Wamp to sever the county’s contract with a planning agency it shares with the city of Chattanooga.