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Speakers: |
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BC: |
Buck
Chambers, Mayor of Piperton |
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DP: |
Dana
Pittman, Editor of Fayette County Insider |
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ST: |
Skip Taylor,
County Mayor |
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The following discussion took place at the conclusion
of a presentation by Buck Chambers, Mayor of Piperton, regarding Piperton’s
plans for changes to their Urban Growth Boundary in the county’s growth
plan. |
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BC: |
We’re just getting numerous calls every day wanting us
to put this in urban growth [Piperton’s Urban Growth Area]. Well, you know,
you can only put so much. These people in Elba and all over here, they just
call wanting to know when we’re going to do. Well, right now, you can only…
We’ve got like 47,000 square miles [we believe he meant acres] of
urban growth and city. That’s a lot of land.
So that’s about all we can do right now. Who knows,
down the road they might want to do that, you know.
Anything else? |
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DP: |
You
mentioned this afternoon at the Joint Economic Development Committee meeting
that Lt. Gov. Wilder had contacted you. |
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BC: |
He called me
while I was in the meeting. |
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DP: |
I think you
mentioned that he had contacted you some months ago or something. Is he the
one that is promoting this complete… |
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BC: |
No, no. |
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DP: |
…west line? |
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BC: |
All that
[Wilder] is trying to do is make sure that those two white areas are
covered. He’s not…
[Ed Note:
The two white areas referred to are on the western county line and are Rural
Areas in the county’s unincorporated plan. One extends north from I-40 to
just past Hwy 70. The other is just north of Hwy 193 (Macon Rd) extending up
to just past Seward Rd.] |
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DP: |
I mean, he’s
promoting getting the whole western boundary into an urban growth boundary. |
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BC: |
Where Shelby
County can’t come through there, right. |
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DP: |
And, does he
not realize that the 1101 [growth plan law] already provides for Shelby
County not being able to come across the line? |
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BC: |
You know, I can’t address that because I don’t
understand it. I wasn’t here when it happened. Mayor Taylor might can
address that.
But, it’s a serious enough issue with [Wilder] that he
feels like he needs to make sure that… because anything is possible when
you’ve got… when politics are involved. And that’s the way he put it, “When
politics are involved, anything is normally possible.” And, that’s why he’s
concerned about the space that doesn’t have any designation to it. It’s just
open. It’s just Fayette County. Am I right on that, Mayor Taylor? |
|
ST: |
Yes. |
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BC: |
To a certain
degree. |
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ST: |
To a certain
degree, yes. |
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BC: |
To a certain
degree, it can happen. [Wilder] just wants to make sure that the lock is on
and the key is thrown away where it can’t happen. |
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ST: |
If it goes
inside an urban growth boundary, that gives the cities some rights. If they
were ever to take away those rights, then the city would have, I’ve been
told, some sort of standing to contest it. And, it’s a fig leaf, but it’s
one more fig leaf that you have. |
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BC: |
That’s
right. |
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ST: |
Anytime they
meet in Nashville, if they want to decide to, they could. But, what affects
us down here, what affects across the state, and there’s several other areas
in the state that… |
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BC: |
Affects the
same way. |
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ST: |
It would be
the same thing. It wouldn’t be just Fayette County and Shelby County. It
would be around Knoxville, Chattanooga area, outside of Nashville. |
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BC: |
You’ve got
some critical areas in the state. I think [Wilder] just wants to make sure
that, him being from Fayette County, he just wants to make sure it stays
Fayette County. He wants to make sure nothing happens. |
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DP: |
I was at a planning conference in Nashville two weeks
ago, and I met with Bill Terry who was the planner that developed the
[growth plan] law, 1101 law, and then also was the specialist that advised
the judges in Nashville when we had our growth plan worked out over there.
I told him. I said, “Everybody’s all in an uproar over
this western border, again.” He just shook his head. He said, “I’ve already
explained it to everybody.” He came over and met at Hickory Withe and
explained it. That the law does not allow them to come over unless our
County Commission says, “You can do it.”
So I’m just, I find it disturbing that… |
|
BC: |
I’m just
doing exactly… |
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DP: |
I
understand. |
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BC: |
When ??
calls me, I want to make sure that we do everything as… |
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DP: |
I understand
your situation. It just looks like… |
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BC: |
If something
comes up, I don’t want ?? to say, “you know, if he’d have done so and so…” I
just want to make sure it’s covered, and what [Wilder] says, we’re going to
try to do. Of course, Mayor Taylor, we’ll all get together. And that’s what
we’re going to do. |
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DP: |
Well, I
mean, I see that’s what we’re gonna… |
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BC: |
Yes. I just don’t understand. I’m like you. I’d heard
the same thing you did. And I was sure that that wouldn’t happen.
But when [Wilder] called me about two months ago, he
asked me would I be available for a meeting if he set one up, and I said,
“Sure. I’ll make myself available.” So he called me today when I was in a
meeting… |
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DP: |
Is this
going to be a public meeting? |
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BC: |
He didn’t say. We’re meeting in his office. The mayors
meet in his office there October 6th at 1:30, October 5th
at 1:30.
If you want to come, it’s open. It won’t make any
difference. To me, it don’t. Now, if he asks you to leave, then it would be.
It’s his office. |
