[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6202635,"mediaKeyId","3786356-a683886074334c8307e7da35ffb9530a","parentId",3786356,"title","Hamilton County commissioners review Plan Hamilton, order two-track approach amid density dispute","audioSeconds",6051,"startMs",4715000,"endMs",10766000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3786356-a683886074334c8307e7da35ffb9530a&start=4715&end=10766","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3786356-a683886074334c8307e7da35ffb9530a/thumbnail_4715000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6202635/Hamilton-County/Tennessee/Hamilton-County-commissioners-review-Plan-Hamilton-order-two-track-approach-amid-density-dispute","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6202635-1e0edcfda510640f2f08d642f7a984e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770415893&Signature=S6695z3TPm8w5-8svaErGhSsjGzu~J8cfNv2GygJo2Ne-lE8SKDXl0R-MXqoVDsnheNLjXoKCkJqAPDWFZqTJ3Rodc5sFk3CpThL-WfWi5e8eYXyHKN93rKhgO4ZiZQc~5QkPaNs0TiDpmn6HImqDfCQBnr9bpC1t9zEtOwsm8P4pwpfRHIFTQlWUA1s-bt9ev85A-RMyHbiPsR0PmglIAXL6TqOk2xJkFPx2C69wKs~2TE~WoF~WIqboKDS2UWBBiUZceGZOvMSSpuGKAXGD8jtwF9ku2KtKfqrDGHkHv6OQ6NWQRJ1NiSA1qeKseWt9rPcJOna87wZ2PaD8BGcRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Hamilton County, TN","date","2025-06-12T19:34:02.947Z","article","Hamilton County commissioners reviewed Plan Hamilton on June 25, considering both the plan the regional planning agency sent to the Planning Commission and a set of amendments proposed by the home‑building and real‑estate industry.

The county's planning staff described Plan Hamilton as a five‑area, five‑year guide to future physical development in unincorporated Hamilton County and asked commissioners for direction before Planning Commission adoption. Planning Commission had recommended the draft with a few staff edits and asked the County Commission to resolve several submitted amendment requests.

Why it matters: Plan Hamilton maps future place types (suburban residential, countryside residential, centers for nonresidential uses and other categories), sets suggested maximum densities and recommends policy changes governing future rezonings and subdivision review. Commissioners and dozens of residents and industry representatives said the plan will shape growth, housing costs, infrastructure needs and where roads and sewers will be built over the next five years.

Staff presentation and core proposals
Karen Renick, deputy administrator of the Regional Planning Agency, told commissioners Plan Hamilton is intended to \"be a guide for future physical development in unincorporated Hamilton County\" and to inform zoning and rezoning decisions. The draft breaks the unincorporated county into five area plans and maps \"place types\" that carry recommended maximum densities and contextual recommendations: suburban residential (up to 5 dwelling units per acre), countryside residential (mapped at 2.0 and 2.5 dwelling units per acre in different locations), and smaller nodes for nonresidential centers.

Planning staff and Planning Commission recommended carrying several technical corrections and staff edits into the adopted plan, and asked the County Commission to advise whether Planning Commission should remove or retain certain broad statements in chapter text that some stakeholders labeled \"overly broad.\" Planning Commission also asked that an appendix removal be clarified (some supporting documents should remain), and sought direction on the amendment cadence in the plan.

Industry amendments and the principal points of contention
Representatives of the Home Builders Association and Greater Chattanooga Realtors urged changes they say would increase housing supply and affordability. Julian Bell, speaking for the home‑building industry, summarized those concerns in testimony: \"Plan Hamilton, as proposed, promises to negatively impact 3 important things for Hamilton County. Housing cost, it will cause housing to be more expensive. Housing availability, it will cause fewer homes to be built. And property tax revenue. It will lead to slower property tax growth and lead to either higher taxes or reduced services.\"

Key industry requests included:
- Increasing the countryside residential place‑type density allowance to 3 dwelling units per acre where sewer is available or where decentralized sewer systems (or new technologies) can be used; the draft plan maps most countryside residential at 2.0 or 2.5 units per acre.
- Allowing plan amendments on a monthly basis rather than the draft plan's proposed six‑month amendment cycle, to avoid long delays when a rezoning requires a plan amendment.
- Removing or clarifying several plan statements the industry labeled \"overly broad\" because they could be used to deny rezoning requests (for example, language saying \"the majority of future development in Area 7 should be located within the incorporated town boundaries of Signal Mountain and Town of Walden\").
- Asking that items described as potential new regulations (stormwater, steep slopes, landscape buffers, connection requirements between subdivisions, etc.) be processed through the normal regulatory amendment process rather than embedded as mandatory standards inside the plan text.

Public testimony and commission concerns
Dozens of residents spoke during the hearing. Opposition testimony focused on roads, emergency response times, schools, stormwater/flooding and sewer capacity in areas proposed for higher density. Multiple speakers asked commissioners to preserve countryside character and to pause adoption until infrastructure—especially sewer and road funding—is assured. Engineer Kurt Wells told commissioners a large area already rezoned to R‑1 off Roberts Mill Road could add thousands of housing units and warned existing roads and bridges lack capacity.

Some commissioners urged urgency and flexibility. Commissioner Graham said that without additional housing supply \"we're pricing our children and grandchildren out of homeownership,\" and urged policies that increase housing availability. Other commissioners said they want to move carefully, ensure plan text does not unintentionally limit housing production, and preserve the ability of the County Commission and Planning Commission to work together on site‑specific rezoning requests.

Next steps and commission action
Rather than vote on a single, final plan, commissioners directed staff to draft two resolutions for formal consideration next week:
A) a resolution to adopt Plan Hamilton as presented to Planning Commission with staff corrections and Planning Commission's requested edits; and
B) a resolution to adopt Plan Hamilton with the specific industry amendments (density adjustments, monthly amendment cycle and the list of text clarifications the home builders/realtors submitted).

Planning staff said they will prepare redlined language and a matrix of proposed wording changes for both paths and return the package to Planning Commission for formal adoption of whatever version the County Commission directs. Planning staff noted that, under Tennessee law, if County Commission adopts a regional/general plan by resolution, subsequent land‑use decisions must be consistent with that adopted plan.

Quotes
\"Plan Hamilton is a guide for future physical development in unincorporated Hamilton County,\" Karen Renick said during the presentation. \"The plan does note that we're really looking at five years for Plan Hamilton...that the goal is to update Plan Hamilton every five years.\"

\"Plan Hamilton, as proposed, promises to negatively impact 3 important things for Hamilton County,\" Julian Bell told the commission. \"Housing cost...Housing availability...And property tax revenue.\"

\"If we don't get this plan right and we don't allow the growth to happen and have them smart...then we're going to worsen the problem,\" Commissioner Graham said in debate.

Ending
County Commission set the item for a formal vote next week and asked staff to circulate printed binders and a redline/matrix of amendments in advance so commissioners can review the exact language before the vote. If the commission adopts a version by resolution, Planning Commission will be asked to adopt that same text as the county's regional plan under state law and to transmit the final document to the state.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","June 11, 2025 - Hamilton County Commission Committee Meetings","oneSentenceSummary","Hamilton County commissioners reviewed Plan Hamilton on June 25, considering both the plan the regional planning agency sent to the Planning Commission and a set of amendments proposed by the home‑building and real‑estate industry.","taxTitle","Hamilton County, Tennessee","taxId",3756,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6202632,"Commission committee reads resolution to formalize Hamilton County Attorney's Office structure",261,60000,321000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3786356-a683886074334c8307e7da35ffb9530a&start=60&end=321","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3786356-a683886074334c8307e7da35ffb9530a/thumbnail_60000.jpg","/articles/6202632/Hamilton-County/Tennessee/Commission-committee-reads-resolution-to-formalize-Hamilton-County-Attorneys-Office-structure","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6202632-e052a978ccbb85e91fda3194d773fefc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770415893&Signature=ahHXr5mNlCME3B2LjnHlmKpSWXj2EuVqReKWnikHierRq502G0ATSJonzvM6G8BteQGW-4PAO-1ODK7iUsI~Q7F78kCziJ8gwTG8CTxeudX-TbNmeGpuqCvgBWDW~H5QeikeC8c5dHwSBuW5AUIZXR5qSBOVHXqJz~S8fmDjqAd60np6ZDF6Xk5muieZtlQ35ggr97F0lsrzc28jUnjk4XbwMEtwEQ5PHyqj9Yqw-jsepjUx3YIELkL2QOnsNQfWFK1kpO3P4rXfOzXuwP2TUpeKqz845J2r3ZIg1DJ3XVGPXlN86oV8n9jUn8woSLZf893VLNi4rpTHn4rSa6wHJQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A legal‑committee member read Resolution 6‑25‑19 on June 25, proposing a formal organizational structure for the Hamilton County Attorney's Office, including appointment procedure, staff positions, rules about outside practice and use of outside counsel, and an effective date of July 2025.

The resolution text read to the commission states that \"the county attorney shall be appointed by the county mayor and confirmed with a majority vote by the board of commissioners and shall serve as the chief legal officer for Hamilton County.\" The reading also set out staffing and administrative procedures: salaries for the county attorney would be set by the Board of Commissioners; the county attorney, in consultation with the mayor and finance, would set salaries for the office's employees; and all office salaries and expenditures would be presented within the county's yearly budget.

Major provisions and clarifications
- Office structure and positions: the resolution lists positions the county attorney's office \"shall include\" subject to budgetary modification—1 county attorney, 1 deputy county attorney, 2 staff attorneys, 1 legal administrative services manager and 2 paralegals.
- Outside practice: the resolution would bar the county attorney and staff attorneys from engaging in outside county government legal practice; staff testimony clarified the intent is that county attorneys work for the county and not conduct private outside legal work.
- Outside counsel: the county attorney may retain outside counsel when necessary (for conflicts of interest, specialized expertise, or matters covered by the county's liability plan), but must consult with the Board of Commissioners, the County Mayor and finance prior to retention.
- Termination: the resolution sets termination thresholds—the county attorney may be terminated by a two‑thirds vote of the board without concurrence of the mayor, or by a majority vote with mayoral concurrence; both paths require 90 days' written notice.
- Effective date: the resolution says it would take effect in July 2025 \"the public welfare requiring it.\"

Committee discussion
Committee members clarified that the restriction on outside practice was intended to prevent private practice by county attorneys while preserving the county attorney's authority to bring in outside experts or retired attorneys with institutional knowledge when needed. One speaker said: \"There'll be no more outside work. It'll be all within the county government, but she needs the ability...to bring in professionals\" for specialized matters. Committee members thanked staff for preparing the draft and noted the future county attorney and current county attorney had worked on the language.

Next steps
The committee completed its review and planned to carry the item forward for consideration on the full commission agenda; no final vote was recorded during the committee reading. Committee members said the future county attorney will be available to answer questions before the matter returns.

Quotes
\"The Hamilton County Attorney's Office shall be organized as follows...the county attorney shall be appointed by the county mayor and confirmed with a majority vote by the board of commissioners and shall serve as the chief legal officer for Hamilton County,\" the committee member read aloud from the resolution.

\"There'll be no more outside work...but she needs the ability...to bring in professionals,\" a committee member said while clarifying the role of outside counsel.

Ending
The resolution will return to the commission for formal consideration and possible adoption; staff said the county attorney and committee members will be available to answer any remaining questions before the commission vote.","Legal committee presented Resolution 6‑25‑19 to establish an organizational structure for the Hamilton County Attorney's Office, setting appointment and termination rules, staff positions, limits on outside practice, and an effective date of July 2025. No final vote recorded; committee completed its review and asked for follow-up.","actionData","errors"]

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Hamilton County commissioners review Plan Hamilton, order two-track approach amid density dispute

Commission committee reads resolution to formalize Hamilton County Attorney's Office structure