Planners address church, cycles, waste treatment

A public hearing was held concerning Shelbyville's new subdivision regulations before the commission meeting began. No one spoke about the new rules and the commission approved the regulations after that.

Chairman Morton Renegar said the regulation were a long time coming and would put Shelbyville more in line with their neighbors. Codes had not been updated since 1990, Renegar said.

Site plan approval was granted for an addition to Tyson Foods' wastewater treatment facility at its Shelbyville poultry complex. The treatment system upgrade at 901 West Jackson St. has a combined additional coverage of 13,707 square feet.

The planned upgrade is intended to meet new federal guidelines for Tyson's wastewater treatment plant, which was issued a notice of violation in February 2007 by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC).

TDEC stated that the plant's sewage treatment facility discharged effluent into the Duck River with levels of ammonia greater than allowed by the plant's permit. The plans show that three clarifying tanks are to be constructed at the site to clean the discharge from the chicken processing plant, especially ammonia.

The violations occurred from September 2006 through January 2007, TDEC said. The amount of ammonia in effluent flowing from the plant in January 2007 was almost twice what's allowed.

Last month, a dissolved air flotation system was installed to separate grease and oil from the water that is discharged into the Duck River, according to Mike Ensley, division vice president for Tyson.

Also approved was a de-annexation request for 53 acres at 1976 Fairfield Pike made by Don and Alberta Tanner.

Commission member Warren Landers asked if it would impact surrounding properties, which planning director Kip Green said it would. Any property owner who wanted to be annexed into Shelbyville would have to be adjacent to the city's current corporate limits.

Green added that no city services had been extended to the property and there were no objections from the Tanners' neighbors. However, it was pointed out that the property is in the city's 20-year growth plan and could be annexed at a later time.

Approval was granted for a site plan for Shelbyville Holiness Church for a 2,800 square foot building and cemetery to be located on Cobb Street.

Another site plan given approval was a 7,780 square foot commercial building for motorcycle retail sales and service on lot 3 of the York Commercial Corner on Madison Street between Christopher Equipment and the Crisis Pregnancy Center.

Action on site preparation plans for a 50,000 square foot spec building pad to be located on Hawkins Drive, requested by OPM Properties, was deferred until next month at the request of owner Owen P. Marsh.

The commission also met as the Board of Zoning Appeals, acting on two matters. They granted conditional use approval for church activities at 207 and 209 April Lane to American Value Homes. Also, Angela Bevels received a variance approval allowing a 16 foot by 80 foot mobile home as replacement of a recently removed smaller one at 165 McDale Lane.

Before adjournment, councilman Al Stephenson asked why every new commercial development required a detention pond, pointing out that Taco Bell spent $1 million to develop one. He expressed concern that this requirement may prevent new businesses from locating to Shelbyville.

Green explained that current state regulations require the detention ponds.