Bell Buckle to take closer look at 'The Hill'

Bell Buckle Planning Commission Chairman Rodney Simmons shows the gray area where the Urban Growth Boundary would be if it included all Bell Buckle water lines. The yellow area represents the current UGB. From left are Simmons, Kristin Costanzo of the state planning department, water and sewer supervisor Ronnie Lokey, planning commissioner David Robinson, Mayor Dennis Webb, planning commissioner Gayle Winnett and Alderman Frank Reagor. (T-G Photo by Mary Reeves) [Order this photo]

Rumors of a developer interested in "The Hill" prompted Bell Buckle Planning Commission Chairman Rodney Simmons to suggest annexing the area. The same rumor was why Mayor Dennis Webb asked the commission to wait.

"It's something that needs to be looked at but now is not the time," said Webb. "I think an attempt to annex now would smack of political correctness. I would like to find out what's going on out there."

Simmons said he would like to see the area, which lies just beside and behind Highway 82 Market, annexed because then the city would have some control over what was built.

"I'd like to see something nicer than what we've got now," he said.

Gayle Winnett, a member of the planning commission, agreed and said she thought an attempt to annex the property would meet resistance from the property owners because they would be facing city taxes.

"Actually, it's a net gain for them," said Simmons. Although they would be paying city taxes, their water bill would be reduced to city rates, saving them more money than they would spend on the taxes, he said. In addition, the town would be required over time, through its plan of service, to improve the roads, and the water and sewer.

The costs involved with the annexation were another reason Webb suggested caution, as well as a potential for legal action if the town wasn't able to provide or improve those services as soon as the property owners thought they should.

Ronnie Lokey, head of the water and sewer department, said a previous study done on annexing the area revealed that for every dollar in taxes brought in, $7 would be spent by the city. One commissioner said that bringing The Hill and the substandard roads in would bring in more federal grant money to improve the area.

"I just don't want to rush in," said Webb before the commission left the matter and moved on to other topics.

"It would be like we were trying to push it through," said Winnett.

Overreach or withdraw?

Kristin Costanzo, of the state planning department, presented several maps to the commission outlining current and proposed Urban Growth Boundaries. One map showed the UGB extended to cover all water lines owned by the town.

"I think people will think we're overreaching," said David Robinson, a member of the committee. He said he was concerned about the farmers and the other property owners thinking that Bell Buckle was trying to control what they could do with their land too much.

Alderman Frank Reagor, also a member of the commission, suggested pulling the current Urban Growth boundary in, not expanding it. He said the UGB was supposed to include a "reasonable" growth plan for the town over then next 10 years.

"Personally, I just don't see it growing that much," he said, pointing at the revised map.

Webb brought forth pros and cons on the matter of a large UGB, such as the ability to annex UGB land by vote instead of referendum; and "captured" tax dollars. He reminded the commission that the town cannot be forced to extend water lines, in or out of a UGB, which gives the town some control over subdivision development.

The negative aspects of the large UGB are, he said, that the county has to approve it.

"If other muncipalities or the county think we're overreaching, there could be some pushback," said Webb. "We could get some pushback from the owners."

He said they needed to find out from the county if septic tank effluent pumping (STEP) systems for water would be allowed in UGBs, which could affect the growth control Bell Buckle has via its water service.

Simmons suggested everyone bring maps back to the next meeting with their own idea of what the UGB should be for discussion. He said they should be able to come up with a recommendation for the board of mayor and aldermen at that time.

Zoned in

The Planning Commission did vote to recommend a historic overlay district for the downtown area to the board of mayor and aldermen at the April 14 meeting. The district would only affect architecture, said Simmons, and not other zoning issues, such as whether or not the building was used as a retail business. The motion made by the board said the overlay would apply only to the C-1 and C-2 businesses in the area, and not residential buildings.

"Unless they want to be included," added Simmons.

Other business

The commission approved a recommendation to the board granting Kelly Wilson a water tap on his Highway 82 property, as well as a site permit for Randy Simpson, subject to change.

Simpson, who is wanting to build a carport/garage combination on his Liberty Pike property, was asked to move the location of the proposed structure five or six feet away from the lot line. His driveway currently runs along the lot line but zoning requires outbuildings be at least five feet from the line. Simpson agreed to the request.