Regional Planning Taking Place in the Southeast Region
with the Help of The Land Trust for Tennessee’s Tricia King
As
new industries and residents continue to locate in the greater Chattanooga
area, our Southeast Region office is increasingly involved in helping
communities in the area achieve a healthy balance of growth and
conservation. “The Land Trust’s mission has always been about maintaining
the character of communities, with an eye toward the future,” says Tricia King,
Project Manager for the ten-county southeast region. “As we continually
work with private landowners to achieve their individual and family goals, we
recognize the importance of preserving what is most special and unique about a
town or city, what gives it a sense of place. The quality of life in this
area is outstanding, and needs to be protected. What a loss to our
children and grandchildren if we become just another stop along the
Atlanta-to-Nashville or Atlanta-to-Knoxville corridor, and we lose the
competitive edge of our scenic and natural resources that are keeping us in the
game during these difficult economic times.”
To that end, Tricia is a member of the Task Force for the Joint Strategic Plan 2035 for Bradley County and the cities of Cleveland and Charleston (BCC). Facing an increase in population by 2035 equivalent to another city the size of Cleveland within Bradley County, the following is taken from the executive summary of the plan:
In anticipation of the change that is coming, the communities of the BCC Region have worked together in an extraordinary effort to take the first steps to plan. This Strategic Plan is the result of that effort. This document records the results of a process in which the City of Cleveland, the City of Charleston, Bradley County, and the Cleveland Bradley Chamber of Commerce and many other agencies worked together to envision the future. This Plan grew out of an extensive process of task force work, public citizen forums, City Council and County Commission guidance, and citizen involvement. It involved extensive research and analysis of growth patterns and trends, heavy discussion of community values and common goals, assessment of existing facilities and service delivery, and the imagining and evaluation of alternative futures. This process resulted in the identification of significant challenges and opportunities the communities will face in the coming years and has set the stage for actions they can coordinate to help manage the region’s future in a way that capitalizes on economic development opportunities while maintaining many of the community attributes that are valued.
Tricia also provided information on conservation easements to the Southeast Tennessee Development District for the new Green Infrastructure Handbook. Designed to be a valuable resource for local governments, developers, and citizens, the handbook is a guide to Best Management Practices for stormwater mitigation that also improves water quality, enhances the public realm, and helps make towns and cities work better. The Handbook includes techniques from green streets and green parking to curb extensions and structural soil, as well as basic development principles. There are maps, drawings, and pictures of several local examples from the Southeast Region.
