JOHN COFFELTEditor

The Manchester Planning Commission April 17 unanimously approved sending the updated Land Use Plan to its next step of approval after the city attorney advised the board there was no need to redo all the subcommittee meeting that developed the plan.

At the last Planning Commission meeting, Alderman Julie Anderson voiced concerns that the process the commission used was mired with sunshine law violations. The process, she said, needed to redone from the ground up.

City Attorney Craig Johnson, however, said that the Commission was on firm ground because any possible violations would be rectified by holding deliberations during a proper open meeting. That meeting, he said, would remedy the situation.

Johnson opined that while the Planning Commission is bound by state sunshine laws, the subcommittee would not be, unless there were two or more members of the public body present (which there were).

“You’re on solid ground because if… a person decided they wanted to sue and say you violated the sunshine act…that is simply cured by good deliberations at your Planning Commission,” Johnson told the board.

“The actions of you as a Planning Commission stand correct once you take action,” he said.

Anderson present at the April 17 meeting did not comment during the deliberations.

At the March 20 Planning Commission meeting Anderson told the commission “My understanding from the work that was done last year, from the planning advisory committee because those meetings weren’t properly noted and the minutes weren’t taken correctly that we have to start all over with the process.”

“When you violated the sunshine law — to make that correct you have to start all over,” she said.

The road ahead

The Planning Commission voted to hold a public hearing in the near future for the Land Use Plan. Following that, the Land Use Plan will go before the County Commission to address the areas in the Urban Growth Boundary, the area just outside the city that can be annexed with Board of Mayor and Aldermen approval if the property owner requests.

Following the County Commission’s approval, the plan will return for two readings of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. The document cleared one reading at BOMA before being questioned for passing Planning with any members representing the UGB. Since then two members have been added that represent those areas.

The Land Use Plan is a map that shows the city’s planning and development vision over the coming years. It is a living document, subject to change, but also provides a guide for decisions on requests for rezoning. It does not change any currently zoned property.

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.