(upbeat music) - [Announcer] You're watching highlights of the Chattanooga City Council meeting.

A production of WTCI PBS.

(upbeat music) (gavel smacks) - Good evening everyone and welcome to our Tuesday, November 15th City Council business agenda.

We have no special presentations this evening.

Chair will entertain a motion for our minutes.

(distant chatter) The minutes have been motioned and seconded, and will stand without objection.

Ordinances on final reading under planning items A and B without objection from counsel.

We will read as a group, Madame Clerk.

- Item A, an ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code Part 2, Chapter 38, Zoning Ordinance.

So it's a rezone property located at 4527 Hickson Pike from C2 Convenience Commercial Zone with conditions to UGT Urban General Commercial Zone subject to certain conditions.

Item B, an ordinance to amend Chattanooga.

City Code Part 2, Chapter 38, Zoning Ordinance.

So that's to rezone properly located at 4649 Shallowford Road from Archie Residential Zoning M3 Warehouse and Wholesale Zone to M2 Light Industrial Zone, subject to certain conditions.

- Counsel, you've heard items A and B read into the record, have a motion to approve.

Have a second to that motion.

Questions or comments as for A and B?

All those in favor say I.

- [Audience] I Opposed A and B carry.

Ordinances first reading planning Item A. Madame Clerk, please.

- In order to amend Chattanooga City Co part 2, Chapter 38 Zoning Ordinance.

So as to rezone a portion of a property in an unaddressed block of Fringe Row from from UGC, Urban General Commercial Zone, RTZ Residential Townhouse.

Their lot lies on a C2 Convenience Commercial Zone with conditions to RTZ Residential Townhouse, their lot lie zone, and C3 Central Business Zone with conditions.

- Councilman Henderson, you have the floor.

- Mr. would you ask if the applicant or are there any oppositions present, please?

- I would be happy to do that, sir.

Is the applicant present?

I do have an applicant.

Is there any opposition present?

Councilman - I Have heard no opposition up to this point, and Mr.

Chair I move to approve planning version 3.

- There's a motion on the floor to approve planning version 3.

There's a second to that motion.

Questions, comments before we vote?

All those in favor say I.

- [Audience] I Pose.

item carries.

Madame Clerk, Item B.

- An order to amend Chattanooga City Code city Part 2, Chapter 38 Zoning Ordinance.

So as to rezone property located at 5505 Brainerd Road from C2 Convenience Commercial Zone to UGC Urban General Commercial Zone, subject to certain conditions.

- Is the applicant present?

Yes.

Is there any opposition present?

I have opposition and an applicant.

- 2022 0195 We did have opposition to this case as well as email and support.

This property is at 5505 Brainerd Road.

A request to rezone from C2 Convenience Commercial Zone to UGC Urban General Commercial Zone.

The proposed use is multifamily residential development, 102 units.

It's a request to develop an existing hotel into multifamily apartments.

The applicant noted that the proposed density of the multifamily development is not compatible with the existing C2 Commercial Zone.

I did show, I believe, this map during committee, but the property is north of Brainerd Road.

It is intersection with Spring Creek Road.

It is a former Motel 6 at that location if that helps orient.

The site is currently Zone C2, and the applicant is requesting the rezoning of UGC to have 102 units.

C2 and UGC have a similar range of uses, although the development form, and in this case the density, is different.

The UGC zone allows for higher density residential development, and there is no maximum density in the UGC Zone.

The surrounding land uses are a mix of commercial office and single family residential.

Commercial and office uses are along Brainerd Road.

It's reflective of that C2 Commercial Zoning strip along Brainerd Road, and the single family neighborhoods are to the rear of the site.

There was opposition from the residents to the neighborhood to the North.

The surrounding development form is suburban strip commercial along Brainerd Road.

There's, as I mentioned, that large, single family, residential neighborhood to the rear of the site.

Let me make sure it gets you oriented.

So this is site.

The red is the C2 Commercial Zoning that fronts North and South of Brainerd Road.

There's neighborhood, a larger neighborhood to the North of the site.

There was opposition from that neighborhood.

This is the hotel that's proposed to be converted to an apartment, and to just give you an idea of kind of the mix and development form in the area.

The proposed, the staff noted the proposed UGC Zone will introduce a new development form in the suburban area.

There is no specific land use plan for the area.

The development policy from the countywide plan identifies the site as having development potential appropriate for infill and redevelopment.

That is urban and walkable with the most potential for future public services.

That would be something like transit.

And the proposed UGC Zone and multifamily development is compatible with that, that description of intensity from the comprehensive plan.

The proposed redevelopment, we use the existing hotel structure which is compatible with the UGC Zone, although the redevelopment of the site with larger, taller buildings can occur in the existing zoning as well as the proposed zoning.

So Steph and planning commission had similar findings.

Found that the proposal is compatible with the comprehensive plan adjacent commercial land uses and commercial development form.

Just as a note, the portion of this property that's in the Brainerd overlay, would conform the UGC Zone as compatible with the Brainerd overlay design standards.

And Steph had recommended conditions limiting the building height and prohibiting some of those higher intensity commercial uses, to help protect the adjacent single family residential.

There was quite a bit of opposition at planning commission.

A lot of concerns about a pattern of crime in the area, including drugs and prostitution, and planning commission recommends, comes with a recommendation to prove the UGC subject to the following conditions: The maximum building height of two and a half stories or 35 feet, an adult, excuse me, auto oriented uses self-service storage facilities, adult oriented establishments, hospitals and wholesaling with accessory warehousing and related office space shall be prohibited.

- Councilman?

- Can we hear from the opposition first, before I?

- Would you like to hear from the applicant?

- Yes.

Yes, yes, yes.

- And then the opposition?

- Please, please, please.

- That'd be great.

- Evening everyone.

So, it's actually a hundred unit hotel.

- Can we get your name?

- Oh sorry.

Harry Patel.

- Okay.

- And this is the former Motel 6 on Brainerd Road.

It used to be the Economy Inn, and it was shut down from the city many years ago, and we re ramped it and turned it into the Motel 6.

We're doing quite a few projects like these where we're seeing troubled hotels that are having this prostitution or drug dealing that's going on, which we know is a problem there.

So we have, there's quite a few different people doing what we're doing now, and it's becoming a popular thing.

Turning these hotels and re ramping them for, this is workforce housing.

This is not Section 8.

So what we would do, we would re-renovate the property, put kitchenettes in there, and refurnish it, and re-landscape and you know, bring it more to a curb appeal.

There will be background checks for each guest.

They have to make, minimum, two times more to what the rent is.

Right now as a hotel, you pay $50 deposit, show your ID, and you get a room.

So we have no control who comes in, what they're doing in their room.

And so with this we feel, we've just done two projects in Rome, Georgia.

We're in single digits there with 911, when there were triple digits.

I think one of the neighborhood people had the report for this hotel, where there's a lot of 911 calls.

So this is automatically gonna drop because we're gonna screen who comes in.

We turn it over to a management company, they are well experienced to run this as a studio, workforce housing complex.

We will put some amenities in here, possibly washer dryers, fitness center, business center.

But it's really for workforce housing that people are working throughout the day, got a job, who won't be hanging around, and doing what's going on today out there.

- Councilwoman Coonrod, I see your light, thank you.

- Thank you Chair.

Mr. Patel, like, I hear you saying that you know, you're going to raise double the rent, right now it's you pay $50.

So will it go to a $100 or like what does your rental range?

- No, so that's just the deposit.

- Okay.

So when someone walks in to get a regular hotel room right now, they just pay $50 deposit, and the rate's anywhere from $65 to $70 a night.

The rates here will be $1,000 to $1,200 a month.

We do have weekly guests right now, and they pay anywhere from $350 to $400 a week.

But with the $1,000 to $1,200, that will include utilities, wifi, and cable.

So they don't need to go and get separate utilities.

So that's why it's affordable housing for the working person.

- Okay.

So will this be you taking Section 8?

Any kind of voucher?

- No.

- Any government assistance with that?

Also, do you, what do you plan on doing about the landscaping?

Are you gonna beautify it, make it look nice?

- Yes, we want to totally change the curb appeal and also change the exterior.

- What about fencing?

Do you plan on putting a fence around it, or?

- Yes.

- Anything like that?

- And it's very poor with lighting, so we really want to light it up, and definitely we put fences around all our properties.

Plus there may be even a gate in front, so it's only for the guests that are staying there.

- Oh, so it'll be like a access code, a gated community.

- Yes.

- Do you plan on having a camera system, any kind of lights that can maybe be hooked up to our police station or anything like that, monitoring, security monitoring.

- It's got a monitoring system now.

It has a camera system, but there's probably gonna be more upgrades for the camera system.

- Would you consider this to be more of a supportive housing type thing, or you, this just gonna be focused on you're creating affordable, housing?

- It's affordable workforce housing, yes.

They've really gotta have a job to basically perform and stay here.

We're not looking for people to just be there like they are right now, where they'll pay the rent and be there all day and hang out.

That's where the trouble started from.

Where they're not going to work.

They're on whatever government program or vouchers, and this is just for, they've gotta show proof of they have a job.

- And have you met with the community to talk about, you know, their concerns or were you willing to address any of their concerns, or if they may, you know, provided any ideas or solutions for you to incorporate, were you willing to do any of those things?

- Yeah, so I met with them about a month ago.

They were great.

There was about 10, 12 total people.

They had a lot of questions.

We went back and forwards, and they had a lot of good ideas that we said we'll work with them on.

They said if you have a local management company we were okay with that.

We also use local subs in the area.

We've got four projects in Chattanooga we're doing right now, so.

We like to hire the local people, and you know, local management companies, so they can keep a better eye on it.

Then a company from Atlanta.

- Do you remember, this is my last question, do you recall any other things that the community asked you to do?

- They had a concern with the security, so we addressed that like you said, the fencing.

We told them about the lighting.

The management company, would it be local?

And we said yes, we'd consider that too.

And they knew about the issue that was going on with what's going on right now.

So I said it'll definitely be better than what it is right now.

- Alright, thank you.

- Okay, thanks.

- My name is Robert Schreane.

Again, I appreciate the opportunity to come up and speak with y'all on behalf of the North Brainerd Community Council.

Some of y'all I hadn't seen in a long time.

So, hello.

Listen, we understand what Mr. Patel is trying to do, and what he wants to do.

But what you got before you right now, between January the first and October this year, they got over 300 police calls to that one location.

That was on his watch.

They didn't just buy this building three months ago, they owned it.

They've been aware of the concerns.

The community's been complaining about the concerns.

We don't understand how you can upgrade something, and put a person in a 300 square foot room with a refrigerator, a hot plate, and a bed, and call that humane.

That's impossible to call that humane.

One, the question we that was asked to him, could we not tear out a wall, and take maybe two or three rooms to make it one room?

Can't do that.

Be too expensive.

That would be a little bit more humane.

Right now we're going to have to see what we see is having some of the same problems that we're facing right now, having those same problems down the line of what we see happening right now.

So, what we are asking y'all to do, based on the information we have in front of you, is to deny that zoning.

We think it'd be better for the community.

In fact, with places like Sky Zoo, and places like that operating and been shut down, how in the place of this world, is this place is still operating?

With those many police call and they still in operation.

Everything from prostitution, to drugs, overdose, DOA, harassment, rape, all that's in here.

I mean not once.

They got some calls here, six to eight times they had a call about the same thing.

It's taking the resources away from the community, and diverting those resources to one place.

And that's the Motel 6.

- Just to some feedback on both the neighborhood people.

They're right on the 300 calls.

That's why we're trying to change the atmosphere, which I said earlier.

There is gonna be background checks.

I mean if this doesn't get approved, it's still gonna stay a hotel.

So, what we're trying to do is better it.

Have better customers, have better rental people, where there's gonna be a background check.

Right now there's no background checks, and it being a brand, we can't require that.

So, we're trying to reduce those 300 calls down to single digits.

Also sent them two to three different hotels we have done and converted.

They were in Rome, Georgia, and they were the 300 square foot, and they're actually a hundred percent full within six months.

The city of Rome, the second time I didn't even have to go for a hearing.

They loved the concept.

There's too many hotels anyway, and they needed that workforce housing.

So, that worked out real well for them.

And many other cities.

We're just finishing one in Ringold.

We're doing two more in Chattanooga, that's already approved.

And, you know, that's what's gonna help.

She's right, that area has a lot of drugs and prostitutes, but if we don't put rules and regulations in place, that's gonna keep going.

So we are here, it's our money.

We're investing a lot of money to convert this into something better for the community.

So, we're not here just throwing a few hundred thousand, this is over a million dollar renovation to redo this whole property.

We feel like there's not gonna be enough units here.

From the Amazon and the other plants that are coming, there's a big need for this.

So.

- Thank you Mr. Patel.

- I did my homework.

I collected data, and I'm just looking at the historical facts, looking at, as my colleagues said, there's no evidence of quality management.

That's something we have the key on, the management.

Are we gonna be good stewards?

So, I see no evidence of that.

And after meeting, I not only met with North Brainerd Council, I met with business leaders in the Brainerd area, and they came to the same conclusion.

It's a vicious cycle of the same, it's a perpetual cycle, of the same thing.

The management chains, and after a few months, the same thing.

You have the prostitution, you have the, all these social ills is right there at that motel.

And at this time, I move to not approve this zoning change.

- Councilman Hester, is that a motion to deny?

- I motion to deny.

- There is a motion on the floor to deny.

There is a second and several seconds to that motion to deny.

Questions or comments before we vote?

The only thing I would like to add is, from what I've learned from this conversation, that I hope this council and the administration will take forward is, it's very, very important who operates and runs this facility.

Amen.

All those in favor to deny, say I.

- [Audience] I.

- Opposed to deny.

Motion is denied.

We're now at the point of our meeting where recognitions of persons wishing to address the council.

So, if there's anybody wishing to address the council, if you would please, line up here.

And while we do that, Mr. Attorney will you read our rules for public speaking please?

- Sure.

At at the end of every council meeting, the Chair will recognized members of the public that wish to address the council.

Here's your rules.

Each speaker wishing to address can only be recognized at the microphone provided up front for that purpose.

You can't have more than three minutes to speak.

You can address the council only upon matters within their legislative and quasi judicial authority, and not upon matters that are not under the authority of the council, nor regulated by other governmental bodies or agencies.

Can't use vulgar or obscene language, nor use the floor to personally attack or personally denigrate others.

Address the council as a whole, and not make comments directed towards individual council members.

Can only do it one time a day, and can't have disorderly conduct, or disrupting a public meeting which is prohibited under Tennessee law.

And a person commits an offense if the person substantially obstructs or interferes with the meeting by physical action or verbal utterance with the intent to prevent or disrupt a lawful meeting or gathering.

Having told you those rules, go right ahead, sir.

- Greetings to the council.

My name is Brandon Malone.

Sir, I'm the Senior Pastor of Greater Faith Temple Baptist Church on 10th Street.

And I'm here with some of our members of Greater Faith Temple.

Wave your hand and stand please.

Thank you so much.

I've been Pastor of this church for four years in December, be four years here in Chattanooga, and we have a issue with homelessness that's in our area.

That's on 10th Street and 11th Street.

Since my arrival, there was a issue, and the issue has continued growing.

I understand that the city has a plan.

They say they have a plan, and we hope that plan comes through.

But as a member of, a Pastor of Greater Faith Temple, our members are concerned of the insurance that's going to cost us more to protect our building, because we cannot police that area 24/7.

Because there's drug activity, there's prostitution going on, and the homelessness is continuing to grow and grow, and I predict it will be worse by the spring or summer next year.

So coming forward to council, to seek solutions on how we continue to come together as community to have a healthy conversation.

Healthy community outreach, and a communication from the city to our church.

Because what happened last week, Norfolk Southern bulldozed areas where people are camping at, their belongings were bulldozed down, and as a consequence, they moved to our parking lot.

Which is also another issue for us, insurance wise.

So just coming before the council, to see if it can seek more solutions as our church and the city can work together to find those necessary solutions.

- Thank you.

- Thank you.

- Can I direct you to Mr. Wolfe?

Sam would you talk about 12th Street?

Okay, thank you.

- Yeah, we had meetings with Mr. Wolfe as well.

- Good, because, I, yeah.

- Yeah.

- That's where.

I appreciate that.

- Yes, sir.

- Thank you.

- Thank you, sir.

- Councilwoman Coonrod, I see your light.

You have the floor.

- Thank you Chair.

I just got a question for Sam.

I mean I'm a supporter of families but, and every, almost every Tuesday we hear about the homeless.

Do you all try to contact the family members?

Like, you know, the ones that's getting those checks for some of the people that's homeless, like our veterans or people who may be, you know, intellectually disabled or whatever.

Like, because it's a lot of people that I've talked to who are homeless, and hanging out on 11th Street and 10th Street.

Like, they know where to go find they family member when it's the first and the third of the month.

- Right.

- But, are we holding those individuals accountable?

Because I'm not, I'm not sure what the process, or what's the policy around it, but I'm sure that the Social Security office got something in place for those people who are the caretaker of their funds that they need to be doing X, Y, and Z for these individuals.

- Yeah.

Yeah in all honesty, it is really hard to hold people who become a designated payee, or a rep payee for folks, if they are family members, accountable when someone is receiving their disability payments.

I think it's something that we, in the office of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, when we have people that are enrolled in our program try to work through that, that can speak to other people who provide supportive housing.

That's a great thing that a case manager could do for someone.

But that requires someone to be enrolled in a program first.

And it's hard for people when they're just existing in the community, and they're not receiving those services from a dedicated program, and they'll just show up up at maybe, you know, the Community Kitchens Day Center or Homeless Healthcare, or these other places for them to have the capacity and the bandwidth to really help out those folks.

- Because I guarantee you, if a letter went out to all those people, I bet you the streets will be clear of homeless, because they'll make sure they got them somewhere to stay.

So, I don't, I'd like to work with you on that, or to see you know, if we can bring in the Social Security people to send out letters to say, hey, you're not doing your part, because we got too many people signing on to be the payee for individuals and leaving them out on the street.

Or maybe we should become the payee or caretaker, since, you know, where it is putting, being placed in our lap to do something urgently.

And because, you know, the families need to be responsible..

I'll just leave it at that.

They need to own up to the responsibilities, and we can't just keep taking the burden of it too.

I mean we can play a role in it, but if you signed on for it, they need to be held responsible for it.

That's just like taking care of a kid or whatever else.

And if they're not gonna do what they're supposed to do to take care of that individual, then to me that's criminal.

You're getting money for them and not taking care of the person that you supposed to be taking care of.

So, that's, my 2 cents.

- For sure.

It's definitely something that we can explore further.

- Thank you Councilwoman.

Anyone else wish to address council this evening?

If not, I'll make one comment for entertain a motion, and that is, Mrs. Hayman, welcome to the team.

You got a very good introduction this evening, and I hope that you absorbed every bit of it, and we appreciate you coming on board to help us address some of these very, very important issues.

Council, I will entertain a motion.

We are adjourned.

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