An ordinance was passed on second and final reading at the East Ridge City Council meeting Thursday night that adopted architectural design standards and guidelines within commercially zoned districts. The goal is for buildings to be long lasting and to enhance the city. The new standards will apply to all new construction and any remodels of 50 percent or greater.
Some items included in the new code are the requirement that all sides of a building seen by the public be the same materials as the front.
There is an acceptable list of building materials. Colors must be earth-tones, and roof-mounted air conditioning units must be screened from view. Mayor Brent Lambert said if there are no building standards, developers can do whatever they want to. He gave an example of one retailer who built an all-brick store in East Brainerd, but used a Butler building in East Ridge. There is an appeal process for these standards as well as a process for variances.
Another way the city is trying to improve its appearance is by providing assistance to business and property owners located along Ringgold Road to make their buildings more attractive. A façade improvement grant program has been available for several years, yet just one person has taken advantage of it. If the grant is awarded, East Ridge will pay $10,000 toward the first $20,000 of a project. The applicant must match that $10,000. City Manager Scott Miller suggested some changes to the original program and the council members gave their approval. Amendments will now allow a landlord as well as a tenant to apply for the grants, but the landlord must give approval if the tenant initiates the application. The scope of work that the grants can be used for has expanded, and work that is considered routine maintenance, such as painting and roofing, is listed as ineligible. A person can apply for these grants only every 24 months. Money for this program is included in the yearly budgets and will be determined each year.
The request by Priya partnership II to install a sign for Econo Lodge on LaQuinta Hotel property at 6642 Ringgold Road changed from giving approval to the council formulating a plan to make the owner bring the whole development up to code. The city manager said in conversations with the owner he was led to believe the entire hotel would be rebuilt. Instead, he discovered the only work that is being done is “paint up – fix up.” Since the building has been closed for over a year, Mr. Miller suggested that the owner should be required to submit an elevation as part of the permitting process. Building is not allowed in a flood plain, so the elevation would need to be altered. More discussion will take place at the next meeting.
The city is also dealing with the use of property that is not compatible with a neighborhood. A permit for one house has been issued for a two-acre lot in East Ridge, but instead of a home, an ATV track has been constructed, complete with lights for night use. This “goes beyond what is reasonable,” said Mayor Lambert, and he said he would hate to live next to it. At the next meeting a range of possibilities including the city’s noise ordinance and any other means of restriction that the city has in place being considered to eliminate the ATV track.
Approval was given to reconfigure the street lights at the newly designed Exit 1 off of I-75. The old lights will be used - just re-located - and the work will cost $24,500. Timing must be coordinated with TDOT. With this approval, EPB is ready to begin the work.
The council also voted to participate in five grants. The 2017 TDOT transportation alternatives grant will put a sidewalk on the north side and a 10-foot multi-modal path on the south side of Ringgold Road from Moore Road to Tombras Avenue. The walkway and path will continue from Tombras Avenue to Belvoir Avenue thanks to the TDOT 2015 multi-modal access grant.
A homeland security grant from Hamilton County will provide $20,000 to the East Ridge Fire Department and $10,000 to the police department to purchase inter-operable communications equipment for each department. The extension of a contract with TDOT will update all intersections along Ringgold Road to make them ADA compliant.
The city’s refuse and trash disposal ordinance was amended and the rules and regulations have been clarified.
East Ridge will again participate in the Tennessee River Rescue by providing safety officers and collection and hauling equipment. Organizer Larry Clark gave statistics about the success of this event in East Ridge in 2016. With 43 participants, 15 tires and one shopping cart were pulled from creeks along with 2,000 pounds of trash.
The developer of a building at the southwest corner of Truman and Ringgold Road that will hold five businesses, including a Marco’s Pizza, was given permission to relocate a house from the property at 1503 Truman Ave. to 1614 Truman Ave.
On first reading, a zoning change from C-2 Commercial to R-1 Residential was granted to a house at 1506 Prigmore Road. Mayor Lambert said during a mass rezoning in the 1980’s this property and others that have always been houses were improperly zoned. The current owner needs the correction in order to sell this house. The mayor said to expect other similar requests in the future.
A second public forum will be held regarding the city’s recreation comprehensive plan. The first meeting was held on April 1 with just 10 people showing up. The second meeting has been scheduled for April 24, a Monday night from 5:30-7 p.m. in hopes that more people will attend. This will be an informal gathering where citizens will participate and city officials will gather information about what the residents want in the way of recreational opportunities.
Discussion took place about police and fire services that East Ridge provides to the city of Ridgeside. Since 2014, the number of calls answered by the East Ridge departments has decreased, said City Manager Miller. The police received 136 calls and the fire department received 19 last year. Ridgeside pays East Ridge $95,000 for this protection.”It’s a good amount,” said Mr. Miller and he said that he sees no basis to increase the charge.
Nine residents who live on Myrtle Avenue came to the meeting to plead for help to reduce speeding in their neighborhood. Cars going to and from East Ridge High School treat the roads as a raceway to get to Tombras Avenue. The problem streets include Greenbriar and Schmidt Roads in addition to Myrtle. Students take different routes trying to beat each other, leaving residents afraid to go to mailboxes and walkers dodging the cars. Parents and teachers contribute to the problem, the council was told. The council members vowed to provide help, but have to decide the best way to proceed. Unmarked police cars, giving tickets, reducing the speed limit and a using a different approach to the school among other things, were discussed.
Police Chief JR Reed honored Shirley Huff for her dedication to working on the school patrol for the past 38 years. Starting in 1979, he said, she has helped thousands of kids to safely cross the roads.
The council voted to purchase $300 worth of tickets to the Optimist’s Club BBQ that will be held May 6 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Profits will help children by paying for an annual fishing rodeo. The council will decide how to distribute the tickets at a later date.