By Bill Short
The Millington Board of Mayor and Aldermen has unanimously passed an ordinance on first reading that would establish regulations for the Old Town zoning district. Board members took the action during their March 11 regular monthly meeting in the Board Chamber at City Hall. The proposed ordinance is scheduled for a public hearing and final reading at the board’s April 8 meeting. Charles Goforth, planning consultant for the city, recalled that the board passed an ordinance in 2009 establishing the Old Town district, but there were no regulations attached to it. “This will attach the regulations,” he noted, “and we’ll do a complete presentation at the April 8 meeting.” In April 2018, the Millington Municipal Planning Commission adopted an update to the city’s 20-Year Master Plan, which the board voted unanimously to accept at its May 2018 meeting. The plan recommended that Chapter 23 of the Zoning Ordinance, also known as the Old Town Ordinance, be replaced with a revised version. The commission has selected revitalization of the Old Town district as its top priority for implementing the Master Plan. On Oct. 15, 2018, commission members approved proposed amendments to the Old Town Ordinance and recommended that the board adopt them into the Zoning Ordinance. Goforth has noted that, when the Old Town district was established, the city planned to adopt regulations regarding permitted and prohibited uses, signage, design review and landscaping. But he has acknowledged that, until that is actually accomplished, the underlying zoning classifications and regulations will remain in effect for each parcel of real property within the district. Goforth has said the Old Town district basically consists of the “triangle” formed by the intersection of Church Street, Navy Road and Easley Street. He has noted that in 1940, before Navy Road was constructed, the “heart” of the downtown area was on Easley west of the railroad tracks. Much of Easley was developed before the Shelby County government approved its first zoning ordinance in 1956. And Goforth has said the first portion of Navy was constructed like Easley, with the buildings “up on the street.” By 1962, Navy had been “extended,” but not all of it had been developed. Because most of its western part was developed under current zoning ordinances, Goforth has said it has large setbacks and large areas between the buildings.
In January 2018, Goforth and the members of a Master Plan Advisory Committee agreed that the Old Town district should include all the commercial property in its B-1 and B-2 zoning, while excluding the residential areas.
