MATTHEW BURNETTE, Staff Writer

After an hour and a half of heated discussion both from the Commission and the crowd, the Coffee County Planning Commission voted unanimously to push a vote on amendments to zoning resolutions to their next meeting on April 22.

All the amendments were regarding water service, setbacks and road frontage for Major Subdivisions in Zone A-1.

Instead of a designated time during the meeting for public comment, Planning Chairman Steve Cunningham allowed for the crowd to make their opinions known as the Commission discussed each amendment individually which quickly devolved into raised voices and crosstalk.

At one point during discussion on changing setback requirements when Planning member Rodney Duncan fell into a shouting match with a crowd member about his father Phil Duncan’s credentials as a firefighting trainer, Cunningham stepped in.

“Hold on. We’re not gonna go down that road,” said Cunningham. “We’re talking about the setbacks.”

After further discussion from a number of Commission members and attendees, Duncan made a motion to postpone the vote until “we can see what kind of houses that are fifty foot apart have caught each other on fire” in Coffee County.

Cunningham acknowledged Duncan’s motion, though not entirely.

“I’ve got a motion from Rodney. I’m not gonna say that how many caught on fire from fifty foot apart, but we will put it off, so I’ve got a motion that we put it off until our next meeting,” said Cunningham.

“A motion to postpone,” clarified Coffee County Mayor Dennis Hunt.

Commission member Randy Harrell seconded the motion that passed unanimously. The item will be addressed again at the next Planning Commission meeting.