By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–The new Henry County government building is one step closer to reality with the unanimous approval of the site plan at Thursday night’s meeting of the Paris Municipal Regional Planning Commission.
At a meeting of the Municipal Board of Zoning Appeals earlier in the evening, board members approved a special use permit for the Compassion Church to move into the Kroger shopping center.
The site plan for the Henry County Office Building was prepared and presented by TLM. It is for new construction of a 20,245 square foot building at 1115 Tyson Ave. The property is zoned B-I (Highway Commercial).
Community Development Director Jessica Crouch said the building will house offices currently housed in the courthouse annex building and courthouse (except for the juvenile court offices which will be located in the former hospital Wellness Center on E. Wood St.).
County Commissioner Marty Visser, who is chairman of the building and grounds committee, told us the current plan is for the following offices to be located in the new office building: Trustee, Property Assessor, Register of Deeds, County Mayor’s office and budget office, County Clerk.
Crouch said the site plan meets all zoning requirements, including paving and stormwater management. She said the project meets all applicable zoning and development requirements.
As has been previously reported, the county is constructing the new office building as it continues to grapple with aging and deteriorating buildings.
Earlier at the board of zoning appeals meeting, a full house of members of the Compassion Church were on hand for the public hearing of their request for a special use permit for the church, to be located at 1055 Mineral Wells Ave., Suite 13, Paris (where the appliance store was previously located).
City Attorney James Smith said the only potential consideration is that the church would be in close proximity to establishments which sell liquor and beer. “But the only consideration would be for the owner of the property.”
Crouch said the application “meets all requirements”, including parking requirements. The application was granted unanimously.
In other business during the planning commission meeting, commissioners discussed the ongoing review of the city’s zoning ordinances. The city is being assisted by a third-party consultant Kimley-Horn and it may take as long as 12-18 months to complete.
Crouch said it will include “a complete rewrite with public meetings. We want the public involved in the whole process.”
The commission agreed to continue the moratorium on new lots for portable building sites and agreed when the new zoning ordinances are approved, the moratorium would be lifted.
Photo: A full house of interested members of the Compassion Church were on hand for the public hearing. Shannon McFarlin photo.