Growth policy committee recommends keeping urban growth boundary; Bradley County schedules public hearings

The Growth Policy Coordinating Ad Hoc Committee unanimously recommended that Bradley County maintain its current urban growth boundary, and the county commission scheduled public hearings on the recommendation for Jan. 13 and Jan. 21 at noon in the commission room, Commissioner Collins said at the meeting.

The recommendation matters because it guides where the county expects future urban development to occur and triggers required public hearings under state law. "The growth policy coordinating ad hoc committee met prior to the holidays and voted unanimously to recommend maintaining the current urban growth boundary," Collins said during the meeting, adding that the committee believes there is "ample land within the current urban growth boundary, even after a few number of annexations since 2010."

Collins said the committee's recommendation must be presented for public hearings "per the statute," and the county will hold those hearings on Jan. 13 and Jan. 21 at noon in the commission room. Collins also asked that commissioners be prepared to consider a motion on the Jan. 21 voting session to approve the committee's recommendation to keep the boundary unchanged.

County officials did not vote on the recommendation at the meeting; Collins presented the committee report and asked that the formal vote be placed on the Jan. 21 agenda. The transcript records no additional details about proposed boundary lines, maps or specific parcels affected; Collins said only that the committee concluded there is sufficient land within the existing boundary despite annexations since 2010.

The county's next steps are to hold the two public hearings and then consider the committee's recommendation during the Jan. 21 voting session, when commissioners may move, debate and vote on whether to formally adopt the recommendation.