New judge to ensure City laws are enforced
Thursday, December 8, 2011 10:00 AM
At its regular meeting on Thursday, November 17, the three members of the Board of Commissioners of the City of Forest Hills unanimously passed Resolution 2011-05 appointing David McMackin as City Judge for the City of Forest Hills.
The resolution cited several sections of the Tennessee Code giving the City of Forest Hills the authority for appointing Mr. McMackin. In particular, TCA 6-21-501 grants to the Board of Commissioners the power to appoint a City Judge who shall serve at the pleasure of the Board.
The resolution went on to state “that the Board of Commissioners desires to appoint a city judge for the purpose of hearing and adjudicating cases for violations of the laws and ordinances of the City of Forest Hills and arising under the law and ordinances of the City of Forest Hills.”
In the past, the City has had to rely on the good will of its citizens to make sure that the ordinances of the City are followed. By and large the great majority of Forest Hills residents abide by these ordinances and laws. On occasion, however, there are intentional violations. The new City Judge will have the authority to adjudicate these violations and to see that the laws of the City of Forest Hills are enforced. This will not be a traffic court.
Creating a City Court in Forest Hills will enhance the governance of the City. We look forward to the judgeship of David McMackin in defining that position for the City.
Three major projects nearing completion
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 4:49 PM
During 2011, the City of Forest Hills has been focused on completing three major projects that will have a major impact on the City for years to come. All three will be completed sometime during the month of November.
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The most visible project is the new Forest Hills City Hall located at the corner of Hillsboro Pike and Old Hickory Boulevard. The groundbreaking for the City Hall took place on February 5. Work was slowed in the early spring by cold and wet weather but the project picked up speed when dry weather returned in the summer. By August the exterior of the building was completed, and by late September, the contractor, R.C. Matthews, had nearly completed the interior.
During October, landscaping is taking place that will include foundation planting around the building and walkways, and paving of the parking lot. The hill behind City Hall with its cedar trees will be kept in its natural state after the elimination of fallen and diseased trees and the removal of invasive plants. In all probability, the office staff will be able to move in by the first of November, and regular Commission meetings will take place by the end of November. There will be a grand opening for the residents of Forest Hills in January 2012.
Tree planting
The second project that will be completed during the month of November will be the planting of Yoshino cherry and dogwood trees along Hillsboro Pike from Old Hickory Boulevard north to Tyne Boulevard. Joe Hodgson of Hodgson and Douglas Landscape Architects, at the direction of the Cultural and Natural Resources Committee, has designed where the trees will be planted. This planting will complement the Yoshino cherry trees that were planted in 2010 from Harding Place to South Stanford Drive.
The trees planted in 2010 were given to the City by Consul-General Hiroshi Sato as a gesture of friendship between the citizens of Forest Hills and the people of Japan. Each spring for years to come, we will be reminded of that friendship as the trees grow and bloom.
New Zoning Ordinance
The third project will be the long awaited completion of amending and restating the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Forest Hills. The purpose of this project is to implement the Comprehensive Plan for the City which was adopted in January 2010. In turn the new Comprehensive Plan resulted from the Green Community Framework Report issued in August 2008 and produced by consultants McBride Dale Clarion and the Walker Collaborative. Many Forest Hills residents were involved in study groups and public meetings that produced both the Green Community Report and the Comprehensive Plan. Since January 2010, the Planning Commission members with the able assistance of City Attorney Matt Foster have met on a regular basis to revise the 70-plus-page Zoning Ordinance. The Planning Commission is scheduled to complete its work on October 20 at which time they will recommend that the Board of Commissioners adopt The Amended and Restated Zoning Ordinance. This document will govern how the City of Forest Hills develops over the next 10 years.
All three projects have been carried out with one object in mind—to ensure that Forest Hills protects its beautiful landscape and to ensure that Forest Hills remains one of the most desirable places to live.
Members of the Planning Commission include (back row) Em Ghianni, Jim Gardner, Chair Warner Bass, Caroll Kimball, Sandy Moore, David Waller and City Planning Advisor Mort Stein. City Commissioners Tim Douglas, Bill Coke, and John Lovell (front row) also sit on the Planning Commission. Other Planning Commission advisors are City Attorney Matt Foster, City Engineer Brad Bivens, and City Manager Al Deck.
We salute our dedicated Planning Commission
Land Subdivision is the first step in the process of orderly community development. The subdivision of land is a public responsibility because new and additional development impacts the welfare of the entire community in many important respects. Municipalities such as Forest Hills are given the authority by the State of Tennessee to appoint Municipal Planning Commissions to oversee the orderly development of new subdivisions of land within the City.
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This gives tremendous responsibility to the members of the Forest Hills Planning Commission because their decisions in implementing the subdivision regulations affect not only the new subdivision being developed but also the beauty and protection of the surrounding neighborhoods.
Fortunately, the Forest Hills Planning Commission is made up of dedicated citizens, some of whom have served for many years. They bring with them a deep understanding of the ordinances that regulate subdivisions.
Warner Bass has served as chair of the Commission for over 20 years. Serving equally as long is Vice Chair Winston Evans. Other members are Jim Gardner, Em Ghianni, Carroll Kimball, Sandy Moore, and David Waller. The Board of Commissioners are members of the Planning Commission as well.
The Planning Commission meets every third Thursday evening of every month at 6 p.m. at the City offices.
Typically for a new subdivision to be approved there is a three-step procedure. The first step is to consult with the City Technical Staff for the preparation of a Development Plan. The second step is the preparation and submission to the Planning Commission of a preliminary plat of the subdivision with necessary drainage and engineering plans. The third step is the preparation and submission of a Final Plat Plan.
The process is sometimes lengthy and time-consuming, but the results contribute to a well-ordered City. Subdivisions recently undergoing this rigorous procedure are Cambridge Downs and Fentress Estates on Old Hickory Boulevard and Tyne Estates on Tyne Boulevard.
In addition to reviewing plans for subdivisions, the Planning Commission is actively involved in reviewing the City’s proposed new Amended and Restated Zoning Ordinances.
In 2008, the Green Community Framework Report was adopted in an effort to strengthen ordinances to better preserve the hills, forests, and open spaces that make our City the distinctive residential community that it is. Study groups were formed to make recommendations to the Planning Commission and the Board of Commissioners to write a new Comprehensive Plan.
The Planning Commission and the Board of Commissioners adopted the Comprehensive Plan in 2010. Since then, the City has been working with the Local Planning office of the State of Tennessee to revise the Zoning Ordinances in accordance with the Plan. The Planning Commission will meet regularly through July to finalize these ordinances.
There are important tracts of land left in Forest Hills that may or may not be developed in the future. These revised ordinances are being written to ensure that property values are maintained and enhanced for the property owners and so that the natural beauty of the City of Forest Hills will remain for years to come.
This puts a heavy responsibility on members of the Planning Commission and they are to be thanked for their hours of dedicated service to the City.
BZA members are Lanson Hyde, vice chair Jim Littlejohn, and chair Janie Rowland.
Hats off to volunteers who keep City running
The governance of the City of Forest Hills in large measure depends on volunteers who are willing to take the time to meet and make decisions that affect every resident of the City. The Charter for the City provides for a City Manager-Commission form of government, which means that the three unpaid Commissioners elected by the people have the responsibility to see that the City is run efficiently and well for all of its citizens. To oversee the management of the City and to see that ordinances are enforced, the Commissioners employ the City Manager. More
The Board of Commissioners also has the responsibility to appoint all other boards, commissions, committees, and task forces to advise the Board of Commissioners and to make important decisions for the City. Currently there are two permanent committees, the Planning Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals. In addition, the Cultural and Natural Resources Committee was formed four years ago to make the City a more distinctive and attractive place to live. To help in the design and construction of the new City Hall, a City Hall Advisory Committee was created.
Because these commissions and committees are so important, the next four issues of the Forest Hills News will highlight each one of them, starting with the Board of Zoning Appeals.
The Board of Zoning Appeals is composed of three members who are appointed by the BOC. The current BZA members are Janie Rowland, chair; Jim Littlejohn, vice chair; and Lanson Hyde as the third member. All have busy professional lives but take the time every third Friday of every month at 8 a.m. to hear appeals from citizens who seek a variance from the zoning ordinances that govern how their houses and properties should be built or remodeled.
Some common requests for variances deal with fence height. The Forest Hills zoning regulations state, “Open fences, regardless of location, shall not exceed four feet in height.” If a home owner wants a fence higher than four feet, an appeal for a variance must be presented to the three members of the BZA for resolution.
Other matters that come before the BZA are variances for front-yard or side-yard setbacks and building coverage ratios.
The decisions that these three dedicated public servant volunteers make affect the beauty and the livability of Forest Hills for all citizens. Please take the time to thank them for their service to our community.
