Plainview City will not allow tiny homes to be built inside the city limits due to the passage of Ordinance #157 on its second reading at the September 12 meeting.
The ordinance does allow homes of at least 401 square feet, which is only one square foot more than the definition of a tiny home at 400 square feet.
Ordinance 157 also prohibits the use of a recreational vehicle as a permanent residence and adopts the language of a state law that also does the same.
Homes in Plainview must be constructed according to regulated building codes for residences with inspections mandated at various stages of construction.
Some citizens and one alderman spoke against the adoption of Ordinance #157. They stated that the ordinance should not be adopted due to the high cost of owning a larger home, the ease for elderly to maintain a tiny home, and the individual freedom of citizens to erect a dwelling of their choice on privately owned land.
But Ordinance #157 passed on a 3 For to 1 Against vote with Aldermen Bright, Collins, and Vice Mayor Phillips in favor, with Alderman Lock voting against, and Mayor Chandler absent and not voting.
Another issue discussed was the repeal of an ordinance that placed a load limit of 10,000 pounds or 5 tons on Wolfe Road. Vice Mayor Richard Phillips explained that Plainview could not enforce a load limit on Wolfe Road and could not interfere with interstate commerce on the road.
Alderman Josh Collins voiced a different opinion and stated that his research of state law did allow cities to establish load limits and to enforce those limits. Wolfe Road is experiencing an increase of heavy truck traffic partly due to the construction that has narrowed the SR33 (Maynardville Hwy) below Maynardville.
The large heavy trucks that transport Union County waste to Chestnut Ridge would normally travel SR33. But now those trucks are traveling Wolfe Road to SR131 (Tazewell Pike). Wolfe Road going toward Plainview is a narrow city street that does not meet lane width requirements for a striped, two-lane road.
According to some who live on Wolfe Road, the size and weight of these trucks are a hazard to the safe travel of Plainview residents. One resident commented that if the pavement broke, water or sewer lines may be damaged. Indeed, in earlier meetings Plainview officials noted that Wolfe Road does need to be paved more often than any other city road and commented that the road definitely experienced the most use.
Concern for widening the road was also expressed which would be an expensive endeavor, especially since the road could have been widened by Waste Management and a grant at no cost to the city back in the mid-1990s.
Apparently from the discussion, trucks are not able to travel SR 370 to SR 144 (Ailor Gap) because the trucks cannot manage the steep hill when they turn left on Ailor Gap. Enforcement is difficult due to the limited number of city officers.
To repeal the load limit on Wolfe Road, the vote was 3 For to 1 Against with Aldermen Bright, Lock, and Vice Mayor Phillips voting in favor Alderman Collins voting against, and with Mayor Chandler absent and not voting. Officials were checking to find out if the ordinance to repeal the weight limit will need to have a second reading in October and a public hearing prior to the meeting.
Residents can call Plainview City at 865-992-5841 during regular business hours on Tuesday or Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or leave a voice mail or comment or to inquire about the public hearing when the office is closed. Also, any public hearing will be advertised in the Union News Leader.
Chief Brandon Ford noted that the license plate reader cameras had already helped apprehend a person accused of kidnapping two children in Obion County. The kidnapper was arrested after fleeing to Kentucky and then traveling through Union County down Tazewell Pike where the Plainview camera photographed the license plate. According to police reports, the children were not harmed and were safely returned to Obion County.