Q&A: How does new zoning affect me?

Aug 23

You sent your zoning questions. We have answers.

Wow — this is a list of people who are really interested in zoning! We’ve heard so much discussion about the new ordinance, and you all have sent us a ton of questions. Most of the questions are from residents (i.e. not developers) wanting to know if the new code will affect them in any way. What happens if my property has a new zone? Will there be restrictions on renovations? Are neighborhoods going to feel more crowded?

Let’s get into it.

As the new zoning code is rolled out, here’s how you — homeowners and renters — can expect to feel its impact.

Have a question you'd like to see answered next time? Reply to this email or submit one here! Thank you for reading, we hope you find these helpful.

- Mary Helen, maryhelen@chattamatters.com

Q. I'm not a developer. Does the zoning ordinance matter to me?

Every residential and commercial property in Chattanooga will have a different zone by this fall. But the impact on current home and business owners will be minimal. That’s because the updated zoning ordinance is focused on future construction. While it changes the rules about the types of structures that can go in each zone, their size, and their use, it doesn’t take away any existing property rights.

“No one's entitlements to what they can do on their property will reduce — none,” said Chris Anderson, the leading zoning advisor from Mayor Tim Kelly’s office. “All the entitlements will either be exactly the same as they are today, or a little bit more.”

Chattanoogans may see some changes in the long run, though. New single-family zones have the potential to create a slight increase in housing density for neighborhoods. And officials say a code that encourages more types of housing in more places is a foundational step to make living in Chattanooga more affordable.

Q. What will my new zone be?

The planners responsible for rewriting the zoning ordinance are currently converting old zones across the city to new ones.

For example, the Chattanooga Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency will recategorize each single-family property into one of four new single-family zones, which are based on the minimum size allowed for a lot.

Until now, all “R-1” single-family zones, the most common in the city, must have at least a 7,500-square-foot lot. The new zones for homes in most of Lookout Valley and the Mountain Creek area will retain the 7,500-square-foot minimum. Homes in Chattanooga’s “urban overlay,” shown below, will have a 5,000-square-foot minimum lot size, and single-family lots in all other parts of Chattanooga will require at least 6,000 square feet.

Last, 3,000-square-foot lots will be an option only for new development “close to the river, close to downtown,” Anderson said.

Q. Does this affect home improvements?

As mentioned, the ordinance doesn’t take away anything homeowners can do with their properties. And smaller requirements for the size of front, back, and side yards could allow for larger home additions depending on the lot.

The new code includes a chart describing all the permitted uses for a property and diagrams to help do-it-yourselfers comply with zoning regulations.

Homes in Chattanooga’s four historic districts are still regulated under historic zoning rules, which are a separate part of Chattanooga’s city code. The Chattanooga Historic Zoning Commission must approve a “certificate of appropriateness” for alterations to buildings in a historic district.

Q. How will my neighborhood change?

Both the city and the RPA have said existing residential areas won’t change much due to new zoning. The built environments of Chattanooga’s neighborhoods are stable, said RPA Executive Director Dan Reuter.

Instead, growth is expected in “the obvious places,” he said, including around the new Lookouts stadium, The Bend development, and sparse commercial corridors like E. 23rd Street.

“We don’t need to think about growing in a neighborhood anytime soon,” Reuter said.

Still, neighborhoods will face development pressures as the city’s population keeps climbing.

Neighborhood associations can help guide growth

Jeremiah Reynolds, a leader of the Ridgedale Neighborhood Association, said he and his neighbors have consistently supported new multi-family housing in the area. They’ve worked with developers on past projects to align new construction with a growth plan local residents created in the 1990s.

But he said that because of the neighborhood’s openness to growth, “Ridgedale is now on the map,” a target for developers who may not have community standards in mind when they build. Reynolds expects to see more, denser developments come to the interior of Ridgedale, like a project approved this week to replace a hundred-year-old house on Chamberlain Avenue with townhomes.

The planned townhomes garnered mixed response from Ridgedale residents. For Reynolds, it pointed to the need for a stronger, more organized neighborhood association, which remains an important tool to shape the changes residents want to see in their communities.

“Zoning does matter,” Reynolds said. “Sitting through City Council meetings is really boring … but it’s suddenly very exciting because it’s your neighbor’s house.”

You can see a list of Chattanooga’s neighborhood associations and their leaders here.

— Questions answered by William Newlin. You can email him at william@chattamatters.com

Ian-Alijah Bey