Back to the drawing board

During Monday evening’s meeting at the Hartsville-Trousdale County Community Center, it was back to the drawing board for the Trousdale County Planning Commission.

Planning commissioners reviewed the rejection of several proposed amendments regarding commercial and industrial builds. The amendments were rejected by the Trousdale County Commission after they were sent to the commission by the planning commission with favorable recommendations.

As the county has recently faced legal action from Hunters Point Quarry, LLC regarding the denial from the planning commission of the company’s site plan for the proposed Hunters Point Quarry, several planning commissioners expressed concern over the lack of regulations in the building and zoning codes governing the current and future growth of Trousdale County.

“If we (Trousdale County) don’t have any rules or guidelines whatsoever, we’re giving total management to a chancery judge,” said Trousdale County Planning Commission Chairman John Kerr. “I think we’re appointed to provide the management. As a planning commission, it’s our job to provide logical guidelines so that we can manage the growth of this community with commercial and industrial property in the future. If we don’t, we are going to wind up just like with the rock quarry.

“Here’s the way I look at it ... the county commission’s job is to provide us with the rules and how were going to manage the growth of this county and city in the future. With no rules whatsoever, there’s no management we can do. When I say we, I mean the county.”

Although the planning commission’s stated goal is to manage the county’s growth, not all county commissioners viewed the proposed amendments as beneficial.

“The statement that was made (during the last county commission meeting) was that all of this, as far as what we’re considering on the commercial regulations, is a gross overreach of government,” said Trousdale County Planning Commission vice chairman and Trousdale County commissioner David Thomas.

Trousdale County commissioner Chris Gregory added, “Me, personally, I’d rather see something more for the urban services area. In an area where very few are going to see it, I’m much less concerned about the design of a building than I would be for something in downtown Hartsville.”

Even with the setback, the planning commission intends to move forward with its clean-up work regarding the county codes and zoning as it applies to current and future growth.