Hamilton County Commissioner Chip Baker sent a letter to officials on Monday calling for a coordinated effort to plan a Signal Mountain growth plan. 

The letter was sent to the Walden Board of Aldermen, the Signal Mountain Town Council and Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger.

The letter said, "It is past time that our respective communities come together to create a mountain top growth plan. This plan should serve as a guiding document that all three areas of the mountain those being Signal Mountain, Walden and Hamilton County, can use as guiding principles for meeting the needs of mountain residents. There are many components to this plan that I believe we can all agree are vital from the outset of this process.

"We are all for a smart, well planned community that will be successful long term. We must insist on sustainable development that will meet the needs of the present and will not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. We must insist that developers maintain the high quality of living standards that people not only expect, but deserve.

"Smart, well planned growth meets certain criteria: it enhances the quality of living, it promotes economic development, it can promote alternative transportation, can create a range of housing opportunities, preserve open space, natural resources and the environment. Walden's Ridge Plateau is a very desirable place to live because this community values its natural surroundings. Creating a Walden's Ridge Plateau can achieve these objectives, while also addressing these current pressing issues in the proposed Lines Orchids development: An adequate septic system that addresses runoff; ideally Lines Orchids development will be connected to sewer and therefore less likely for issues long term; Traffic Safety and Stormwater - how it will be retained in a large-scale parking lot.

"Our communities need a plan that will meet the needs of mountain top residents in the short and long term. A forward looking growth plan will benefit all mountain residents and help Walden's Ridge Plateau character for generations to come.

"I would be happy to coordinate this effort."