By Katie Northcott, News Director
At its meeting on Monday, March 9, the Tullahoma Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BOMA) sent the 2045 Comprehensive Plan back to the Planning Commission with a recommendation.
The Comprehensive Plan is a guideline to help the BOMA direct Tullahoma’s growth over the next 20 years.
Alderman Kurt Glick presented two proposed recommendations to the BOMA at the meeting. The first amendment would require medium- and low-density single-family homes to have a driveway and a garage. Glick said the purpose of his proposal is to “upgrade” the minimum house requirements in Tullahoma and to help the city’s aesthetics.
Alderman Bobbie Wilson supported Glick’s motion, citing safety concerns.
Alderman Sernobia McGee said the requirement might make owning a home out of reach for some Tullahoma residents.
“There are so many people who would love to purchase a first home, but adding a garage and asphalt driveway may not be in their budget,” McGee said. “I don’t think this should be required.”
Glick disagreed.
“If you look at the economics of it, the market really dictates the lowest price of the homes,” Glick said. “So if that was the minimum available out there, then that’s going to be the lowest price, and it would be the current lowest price, now.”
Mayor Lynn Sebourn said that Glick’s reasoning was “economically incorrect.”
“If [Glick’s theory is] the case, then why don’t we require them to have a three car garage?” Sebourn said. “Because obviously at some point, if you start adding requirements to the construction of the house, the price will go up.”
Planning and Zoning Director Samuel Luthi said the requirements could be considered “laborious and unfair” and may violate the Fair Housing Act. He said a consultant from the Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) had advised him that the city should remove the requirements. Luthi said that a Homeowners Association (HOA) could enforce the requirement, but the city could not.
Glick accused Luthi of previously advising the Community Plan Development Committee (CPDC) differently, which Luthi denied.
Glick’s motion passed 4-3 (Sebourn, McGee, and Alderman Matthew Bird opposed).
Glick’s second proposed recommendation was that the Planning Commission be required to inspect plots of land greater than eight acres where a rezoning is requested.
Luthi said he inspects every site submitted for rezoning, and he raised concern about potential violations of the sunshine law that could occur during a Planning Commission site visit.
“While it may not be an immediate violation to meet on the site, I am concerned that it puts the commissioners in an awkward situation where they have to heavily police their discussions to not get to the point where they may be discussing how they will or will not vote,” Luthi said.
Luthi was also concerned that the requirement might make it difficult to comply with the timeline required by the state that regulates how soon the Planning Commission must vote on rezoning requests once the requests are submitted.
Glick’s motion failed 4-3 (Wilson, Glick, and Alderman Jerry Mathis in favor).
The Planning Commission will consider the recommendation passed by the BOMA and decide whether to add it to the 2045 Comprehensive Plan.
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