2022 08 16 City Council

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County Road 129 (aka Layman Road) Area- Annexation Study Page 4 
CHAPTER 2 
 
PRESENT CITY FACILITIES AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES 
 
The following chapter describes  current public facilities  and services provided to the reside nts by the 
City of Athens.  
 
Community Development Department Services 
The Athens Municipal Planning Commission has been designated as a Regional Planning Commission by 
the State of Tennessee Departmen t of Economic and Communit y Development.  At the present time 
McMinn County does not enforce a building code program and has chosen not to adopt 
comprehensive zoning within the unincorporated territory of McMinn County. The County Road 129 
(aka Layman Road) Annexation Area does fall under the planning region, which is subject to the Athens 
Municipal-Regional Planning Commission Subdivision Regulations . However, with no building code 
enforcement, residential structures,  or other types of structures could be built virtuall y right next to 
one another violating the required McMinn County Subdivision setbacks. Due to a lack of z oning in the 
County, undesirable uses and unmanaged growth, as well as, land use conflicts could de velop ov er 
time, adjacent to the County Road  129 (aka Layman Road) Annexation Area , as well as  other areas 
within the unincorporated territory of McMinn Co unty.  The City of Athens has chosen to adopt the 
2018 International Building Code, 2018 International Plumbing Code, 2018 International Residential  
Code and National Electrical Code 2017. The city also has its own adopted Municipal Housing Code. The 
City of Athens has also adopted and enforced comprehensive zoning for the corporate limits sinc e 
1948.  
 
The City of Athens is a participate in the Federal Emergency Management Ag ency’s (FEMA) Flood 
Insurance Program and the County was mandated to join the program in 2012 by FEMA. The purpose 
of floodplain regulations is to minimize the loss of life and property when floods occur. The regulations 
require that new or substantially improved buildin gs be elevated, or flood proofed above the height of 
the 100-year base flood elevation. The City of Athens has been a participant within the NFIP since June 
16, 197 8, and participants within the Community Rating Sys tem (CRS)  with a current State of 
Tennessee best CRS Flood ISO rating of 8. T herefore, residents wi thin the  County Road 129 (aka 
Layman Road) Annexation Area  will be able to purchase flood insurance  at a reduced rate  due based 
on this ISO rating.       
 
The Athens Municipal -Regional Planning Commission and the City Council adopted the Athens Land 
Use and Transportation Policy Pla n (The Plan) i n February 20 18. The Plan not only covered the 
corporate limits, but it also looked beyond the corporate limits of At hens to the potential growth area . 
This potential growth area, known as the Athens Planning Region, was also included within the rev iew 
of develop ment plans for the city. The Plan contains goals, objectives, and pol icies that support  the 
City’s efforts toward the annexation of the County Road 129 (aka Layman Road) Annexation Area.  
 
 
 
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