John Coffelt, Editor

 Coffee County Planning Commission Chairman Steve Cunningham during the March 24 meeting discussed what he called inaccuracies circulating on social media.

“There seems to be a lot of misunderstandings about what’s going on here and what we’re doing,” Cunningham said.

He clarified that the five-acre minimum lot size restriction only affects the A-1 agricultural district and not the Urban Grow Boundary (UGB).

“I don’t think people realize how big the UGBs of Manchester and Tullahoma are. They almost cut this county in two,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham disagreed with a statement made on social media that no changes had been made in years.

“Well, it was updated when Ray Johnson was (County) Mayor…that’s when Asbury Road (at what is now the Manchester Industrial Park) was brought in the UGB,” he said. 

Johnson served about two decades ago from 2003-2007. According to public records ran at the time, multiple public hearings were held in the fall of 2003 to adjust the UGB.  

“The zoning resolution was updated in 2006. And our zoning resolution is under constant review,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham dismissed social media misconceptions that the county moratorium was still in effect. A 180-day moratorium on major subdivisions passed the County Commission in March of 2025. The moratorium was removed in May 2025.

County Mayor Dennis Hunt, who is seeking reelection in the August 6 election, joined the meeting just before it adjourned.

“I just wanted to say a lot of the individuals who made the comments on social media, regarding the strategic growth plan. Coffee County did have a committee specific to that subject, and we have an updated strategic growth that runs through 2028,” Hunt said.

He noted that Farm Bureau supports the five-acre minimum.        

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.