NOTICE

July 13 (Tuesday): 5 P.M. PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING

A discussion of the draft Comprehensive Plan is on the agenda.

ANOTHER ROCK SLIDE on Lookout Mountain.  See UPDATES

See OPINION for “Chapelbrow–Good Concept Bad Location”

See UPDATES for an account of the September rock slide below Covenant College.

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The citizens of Lookout Mountain–through petition signatures, through speaking out and by participation in the public process—have created an exciting opportunity for our community.  Thank you to the Walker Collaborative and the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee for giving the city of Lookout Mountain a blueprint for becoming a cutting edge community in land use development. For an account of the Public Meeting on Thursday, August 27, click on ARTICLES or UPDATES at the top of this page for a report posted August 28 on Chattanoogan.com.  For the Comprehensive Plan draft the Walker Collaborative presented, click on UPDATES.

What is LOOKOUT FOR SMART GROWTH ?

We are a growing group of citizens who care deeply about the unique character of Lookout Mountain.  We are a grass roots group with diverse views, and we welcome participation from everyone.  We hope that all residents of the Mountain–Tennessee as well as Georgia, Dade and Hamilton as well as Walker—will join with us in thinking through ways to improve our community without losing the beauty and values we all love.  Read into Articles and Opinion, and then please delve into Reference.  You will find maps, suggested reading, and the documents important to our future.

PLEASE SIGN UP TO RECEIVE OUR EMAIL UPDATES.  Let’s talk together.

What does LOOKOUT FOR SMART GROWTH want ?

LOOKOUT FOR SMART GROWTH wants to insure the active and educated participation of the community as a whole in a change of great magnitude that is facing us.  The residents of Lookout Mountain have an exciting opportunity and a responsibility to participate in the direction our community will take in the next decade.

What is all this about a P.U.D ?

For generations we have been able to take our quality of life for granted.  A proposed development has, however,  brought attention to our future.  The zoning laws of the city will need to be modified for the subdivision to be built. The ordinance that the subdivision needs would add a kind of zoning we have never had on the Mountain before: a planned unit development. The P.U.D. ordinance written to facilitate this subdivision—Chapelbrow—would allow many more houses per acre than are now possible. The density of Chapelbrow alone would increase the housing within the city limits by almost one third.

Is LOOKOUT FOR SMART GROWTH just about Chapelbrow?

We are concerned about a picture much larger than Chapelbrow. This one subdivision could set a legal precedent for other developers that would almost certainly follow. If all the undeveloped land in the city limits were to be developed at some of the proposed Chapelbrow density, it would triple the housing in our small town.  (For information about Chapelbrow click on the section “Chapelbrow”  at the top of this page.)

Why should we worry about increased “density”?

There are implications for traffic congestion, for taxes, and for an alteration in our way of life as we have known it.

We would like for the community to consider the consequences of such dense development:

• on the erosion of our steep slopes and the fragile geology of the Mountain,
• on the impact that it can have on our roads–with the possible taking of property to widen them,
• on the security of our children as they walk to school beside heavy traffic,
• on the natural beauty that is one of our greatest resources,
• on being able to see stars at night,
• and on the tree canopy that makes the Mountain a special place to live.

Don’t we need an assisted living facility on the Mountain ?

We are not opposed to an assisted living facility on the Mountain nor are we opposed to development itself.  It is important to note, however, that 95% of Mountain residents* prefer to stay in their own homes.  The community needs to be made aware, too, that that the assisted living facility under consideration depends on the construction of a densely-built subdivision: Chapelbrow.  It would give priority to residents of the subdivision, 80% of whom* are expected to be from outside the Chattanooga area.  (*All statistics from Frank Brock) We believe an assisted living facility, if one is built, should be primarily for the current residents of Lookout Mountain and located on terrain suitable for seniors near the Town Center.  A site near the Town Center would facilitate an actual “walkable” community, would encourage revitalization of the center, and would entail little additional impact on our infrastructure (roads / taxes).

What can we do ?

We can decide the character of the community our children will inherit.

Please join us in thinking through ways to improve our community without losing the beauty and values we all love.

• Read what friends and neighbors have said.
• Look at maps to see the density of proposed subdivisions, the topography of the Mountain, the watershed area, etc.
• Read the draft P.U.D. ordinance
• Read the draft Comprehensive Plan proposed by the Walker Collaborative.  Find it in UPDATES.
  
• Write your elected officials.
  
• Write a letter to the editor.
• Come to City Council meetings and participate.
• Join our email list and the conversation.