Fairmount Apartment Settlement Under Negotiation

Families in one North Chattanooga neighborhood renew a fight to keep a low income housing development from expanding. The future of Fairmount Avenue Apartments has sparked much controversy.

   Money and quality of life are at the heart of this contentious battle. The property owner, Chattanooga Housing Authority, landed a multi million dollar grant to demolish and expand with greener units.

    But homeowners don't want more traffic on the narrow street. This afternoon, Mayor Ron Littlefield said a settlement is in the works.

    Pete Lapina has led neighbors charge to reduce the size of Fairmount Avenue Apartments, the only public housing in north Chattanooga. He also lives on the property that touches the complex. He showed the Chattanooga Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission a stack of opposition to expansion, "In fact, here's 379 signatures on a petition stating that they would like this rezoning change and these are concerned neighbors in the neighborhood."

    The 28 unit complex has been here since 1977. Current zoning (R-3)allows for high-density apartments. C-H-A's plans to use its $4.2 million grant to demolish and build a greener complex, with eight more units has touched off a fight.

    Lapina told NewsChannel 9, " R-3 is too many apartments, we've always said from the beginning we want it like an Alton Park, Alton Village where they are single family dwellings." The push, by the homeowners and supported by the City has been to change to Townhouse Zoning. That would cap the apartments to 12 units an acre, roughly 36 units.

    Homeowners showed pictures of new homes in the growing North Chatt neighborhood, an area that flourished in the real estate boom. That also brought tight parking on the narrow Fairmount Avenue.

    But C-H-A countered some of the planning commission's findings. Attorney Phil Fleenor showed pictures where existing houses already had driveways and cut-off areas for cars to park. "It said it may have an impact on traffic and density, not for sure, but may," Fleenor said.

    Councilman Jack Benson, who also sits on the Planning Commission, says one drive up here showed him more units is a bad move. Benson said, "It's extremely dangerous to increase that density up there. It's like putting more people in a lifeboat getting off the Titanic."

    Mayor Littlefield says he spoke with HUD and a settlement is in the works. "Frankly we are trying to find a more amicable way of resolving this issue through some site changes, design changes, and changes in density and all of that," Mayor Littlefield said.

    But a vote has been put off until March 8th. An attorney for C-H-A says it will use the next 30 days to reach a solution.