Walden Mayor Lee Davis
As Hamilton County leaders move forward with Plan Hamilton - the controversial countywide growth strategy scheduled for a Sept. 8 vote before the Regional Planning Commission - officials from the Town of Walden are voicing strong concerns about how the plan would affect the mountaintop communities of Walden and Signal Mountain.
Although Walden and Signal Mountain are incorporated towns with their own land use plans, both municipalities are directly impacted by development in nearby unincorporated areas, officials said.
Plan Hamilton, which ties density allowances to sewer availability, would permit far greater housing density on Walden’s Ridge than either town currently allows, it was stated.
Mayor Lee Davis of Walden said the county’s approach risks overwhelming the plateau’s limited infrastructure:
“For more than 40 years, Walden has required two-acre minimum lots, not as an arbitrary restriction, but because our community understands the limits of wastewater systems and the fragile topography of Walden’s Ridge. Unlike much of the county, we have no sewer infrastructure. Our land use policies, embedded in the award-winning 2022 Walden Land Use Plan, are rooted in decades of experience balancing growth with safety, environmental stewardship, and infrastructure limits. Plan Hamilton ignores those lessons and risks creating fire, traffic, and public safety crises.”
Vice Mayor Lizzy Schmidt pointed to public safety as her primary concern, “We have only four roads off the plateau. In the event of a wildfire or other disaster, our evacuation capacity is already strained. Increasing population density beyond what our land and roads can handle isn’t just unwise -it’s dangerous. The density levels in Plan Hamilton would overwhelm our evacuation routes and create life-threatening risks for families who live here.”
Alderwoman Angela Cassidy, who also helped craft Walden’s Land Use Plan, said the county’s proposal undermines responsible planning already in place.
She said, “Walden has already done the hard work of planning responsibly. Our Land Use Plan provides for carefully considered development along Taft Highway while preserving the two-acre standard in residential areas. Plan Hamilton would allow adjacent county areas to greatly increase the density allowed in Walden. That’s not responsible growth - it’s out of control growth. It will lead to more congestion on narrow neighborhood streets, overcrowded schools, and wastewater failures that put our environment and residents at risk.”
County Commissioner Chip Baker, who represents Signal Mountain and voted against recent changes to Plan Hamilton, said, “We’ve tried to impress upon my brethren on the commission that each part of this county is different. Some are urban, some are rural, some are suburban. And they all have different needs. They have different topography. The one-size-fits-all approach just doesn’t work for Walden’s Ridge.”
Walden officials said Walden’s 2022 Land Use Plan, which received national recognition, "already sets clear standards for future development. It allows for commercial growth along Taft Highway while maintaining long-standing two-acre minimums in residential areas to ensure land capacity for wastewater systems and preserve the mountain’s character."
Mayor Davis concluded, “We stand united with our neighbors in Signal Mountain. Growth in Hamilton County must recognize that not every community is the same. Our safety, our roads, our schools, and our environment demand a plan that respects the realities of mountain living - not a cookie-cutter policy that could undermine everything we’ve built.”
The Walden Town Council plans to adopt a formal resolution on Sept. 9 opposing the density provisions of Plan Hamilton and urging Hamilton County leaders to amend the plan to include area-specific policies for Walden’s Ridge.
Here is the resolution:
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-XX
A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN OF WALDEN, TENNESSEE, EXPRESSING OPPOSITION TO THE DENSITY PROVISIONS OF PLAN HAMILTON AND CALLING FOR AREA-SPECIFIC GROWTH POLICIES FOR WALDEN’S RIDGE
WHEREAS, the Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency has prepared a comprehensive growth plan entitled Plan Hamilton for consideration by the Regional Planning Commission on Sept. 8, 2025, the Tennessee State Planning Office, and ultimately the Hamilton County Commission;
WHEREAS, while Plan Hamilton is intended to provide guidance for development across Hamilton County’s unincorporated areas, its proposed density standards would also directly impact the incorporated towns of Walden and Signal Mountain by increasing population growth pressure on the limited infrastructure of Walden’s Ridge;
WHEREAS, the Town of Walden has historically maintained two-acre minimum residential lot sizes since the 1980s in order to address the absence of a public sewer system, to ensure sufficient land area for wastewater systems, and to protect the environmental health of the Plateau; WHEREAS, the Town of Walden undertook an extensive planning process resulting in the Town of Walden Land Use Plan (2022), which has been nationally recognized for its balance of sustainable development, protection of civic assets, transportation safety, and targeted commercial growth along the Taft Highway corridor;
WHEREAS, the proposed density allowances in Plan Hamilton are inconsistent with the standards adopted by Walden and would double the permitted density on Walden’s Ridge, creating unacceptable risks of septic system failures, traffic congestion, and environmental degradation; WHEREAS, public safety on Walden’s Ridge depends on just four evacuation routes, and current population levels already strain the ability to evacuate residents during emergencies such as wildfires, ice storms, or other disasters; WHEREAS, uncontrolled density increases would also overwhelm existing roadways, increase cut-through traffic in residential neighborhoods, and place further strain on already crowded local schools;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN OF THE TOWN OF WALDEN, TENNESSEE, AS FOLLOWS:
1. The Town of Walden hereby expressly opposes the adoption of Plan Hamilton in its current form, particularly the proposed density standards for Walden’s Ridge and surrounding unincorporated areas.
2. The Town urges the Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission and Hamilton County Commission to amend Plan Hamilton to provide area-specific growth policies for Walden’s Ridge that recognize the unique environmental, infrastructure, and public safety constraints of the mountaintop.
3. The Town reaffirms its commitment to the Walden Land Use Plan (2022) as the guiding document for local development and calls upon County officials to respect and align with the adopted plans of incorporated municipalities.
4. The Town Clerk is directed to transmit this resolution to the Regional Planning Commission, the Hamilton County Commission, and other relevant state and county officials following its adoption at the Sept. 9, 2025 meeting.
ADOPTED this 9th day of September, 2025. ___________________________ Lee Davis, Mayor ATTEST: ___________________________ Mariah Prescott, Town Administrator