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During the May 28 meeting of the Coffee County Planning Commission the chairman, Steve Cunningham criticized applicants who don’t show up to committee meetings.

“I feel like if you want a plat passed this committee, I feel like you need to be present,” Cunningham said. “If you’ve spent this money, you ought to be able to take an hour out of your day to be here.”

Cunningham said that it was not appropriate for the Codes Department staff to have to explain the particulars of a plat request to the commission, and that it could present liability issues on the county.

Cunningham noted that calling a planning commission costs the county about $500-600. 

“It’s a lot of work for our staff,” Cunningham said, “to go through all this stuff, get it done and somebody say ‘I’m going to be here to do this’ and they don’t show up.” 

At the meeting, there were five preliminary/final plat requests to divide parcels of property. All but one was approved.  Two were presented without representatives present.

The unapproved request for an Asbury Road plat was postponed due to it needing final approval from Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC).

Interim Mayor Dennis Hunt made a motion that failed due to lack of second to approve the request pending TDEC approval.

“I made the motion (because) this individual owns property in my district. I was doing this for my constituent,” Hunt said.

Hunt differentiated the difference between a Board of Zoning Appeals and planning.

“When an individual wants to do something with their property, they have to come before us for a conditional use or a variance, if you don’t show up for (those) we’re not going to address it,” Hunt said.

Surveyor Nicholas Northcutt said that the Asbury Road property owner is waiting for soil results from the state.

“All the fees have been paid and we were expecting to get that back any day now,” Northcutt said.

On the agenda were preliminary/final plats requests on Fredonia Road, Oscar Crowell Road, Spry Road and Taylor Road which were all approved.