The County Commission, in a session in which accusations flew, on Wednesday voted 6-5 to send the controversial Plan Hamilton back to the Planning Commission along with a moratorium on handling of new plats.
Commissioner Chip Baker said the moratorium was for 30 days, but could be extended by the commission.
He said, "The intent of this is to get people motivated to finish the plan. This is simply to get people off the dime and to get to negotiating."
The Planning Commission had sent two versions to the commission - the reworked Plan Hamilton after involvement with citizens and developers and a version with amendments from the Home Builders and realtors.
The commission last week wound up tabling both versions. At the meeting today (Wednesday) there was a motion to take the items off the table that did not pass.
However, new County Attorney Janie Parks Varnell said it didn't matter, and the plan could go back to the Planning Commission. She said what should have happened all along was for the Planning Commission to approve a plan, then send it to the commission to certify. The Planning Commission had sent both plans to the commission for its input.
On the moratorium on new plats, Commissioner Mike Chauncey noted that 15 plats are on the Planning Commission agenda for action on July 14. However, those will be delayed under the commission vote.
Commissioner Chauncey said, "This is an overreach of government. When is it going to stop? I'm just tired of it."
Commissioner Warren Mackey said, "There seems to be a big push by some people to slow growth in Hamilton County."
He said on the tabling votes, "This seems to be done in an illegal way. There was an effort last meeting to undo the table when the meeting was almost over and it failed, but yet here it is again."
Commissioner Joe Graham said the plats moratorium "sends a horrible, horrible message that Hamilton County is not open for growth. It's a last ditch effort to stop growth in Hamilton County."
Several commissioners complained that the Baker motion was brought up at the last minute with no time for study.
Voting in favor of the plats motion were Commissioners Baker, Steve Highlander, Jeff Eversole, Ken Smith, Lee Helton and Gene-0 Shipley.
Opposed were Commissioners Chauncey, Graham, Mackey, David Sharpe and Greg Beck.
Chairman Eversole said, "Today, the Hamilton County Commission passed a resolution placing a 30-day moratorium on all plat approvals. I hope this pause will provide both the general public and home builders the necessary time to come together, have productive conversations, and identify mutually agreeable solutions as we move forward."