Soddy Daisy commissioners decked out in their red shirts
photo by Pam Glaser
North Hamilton County is where most new development in the Chattanooga area is happening and with it change is inevitable. Much of the Soddy Daisy Commission meeting Thursday night centered on creating a plan for the future that will preserve the small town way of life that residents enjoy now. Pam Glaser, who lives in and volunteers in the city, also works at the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency. She told the crowd at the commission meeting that a team of consultants will soon be hired to look at growth in the north end of the county, to create plans for land use, infrastructure and green spaces.
She said in the 10 years that she has lived in Soddy Daisy, she recently has noticed a positive change - beginning with the processes by which business is conducted. And she mentioned the acquisition of the Big Soddy Gulf to create a park was one of the highlights in her career. She feels that many of the new opportunities have come from people working together, organized by volunteers with the cooperation of the city officials. Volunteers are responsible for many positive things that have been happening in the city, including Keep Soddy Daisy Beautiful, the Tree Board, the Community Library, the Good Old Days History museum, Ivy Academy and Northside Neighborhood House. She said people are able to get involved with the city through these groups.
More than one of the volunteers told the board of commissioners that what they have accomplished would not have been possible without their help and cooperation. Jim Stewart, along with Cindi and Nate Sandin, started Keep Soddy Daisy Beautiful, which has attracted hundreds of volunteers working to clean up the city and plant trees. He said the group is very interested in the RPA report and wants to get involved and to have an input, especially for McDonald Farm.
Cindi Sandin has now become the president-elect of the North Hamilton Council of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce. This group will represent the needs of the community to the county. It aims to create a long-term vision for the future to grow responsibility.
William Shadwick thanked the council for their cooperation with the Good Old Days History Museum, also run by volunteers, and for being able to hold the Pioneer Days at Poe’s Tavern Park. “We love working for the city,” he said.
The areas of growth in Soddy Daisy include a number of subdivisions, but there are hundreds of new homes around the edge of the city limits, said Commissioner Gene Shipley. And after a first reading and public hearing to convert two parcels of land from R-1, Single Family Zone to R-3 Apartment-Townhome District, a large new apartment complex will add around 240 units at 6521 Old Dayton Pike and 6545 Old Dayton Pike. At the commission meeting Thursday night, the developer from Nashville was present to answer questions. One concern from residents is the amount of traffic that will be added and the poor condition of the existing road. The city plans on resurfacing the road, said City Manager Burt Johnson. A unanimous vote for rezoning the adjoining properties of 21 acres and four acres, was approved on the first of two readings.
Since the Soddy Daisy election has not yet been certified, commissioners and the public alike were able to thank Mayor Nunley and Robert Cothran on their last meeting, for their service to the city. Both have long connections with Soddy Daisy and both had done volunteer work, even before they joined the commission.
Commissioner Steve Everett credited the successes and growth in the city from everybody working together. He said the mayor and vice mayor and the volunteer groups have successfully brought together businesses and faith-based volunteers, along with volunteers from non-profits in the area.