Cornersville BoMa Meeting February
TRACY HARRIS
Staff Writer
The Town of Cornersville held a Public Hearing and regular meeting on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. The public hearing was brief with only one citizen comment, an inquiry about the Public Notice. The notice included a property map in the newspaper and was on the town’s website, with the notice of the public hearing. According to Mark Tolf, the notice was posted incorrectly and the parcel at 138 S. Main St. did not include the 125-year-old house on that property. Tolf called into question what map the town used if a home that old was not listed.
The regular meeting opened with the approval of January minutes and current financials before opening to citizens’ comments. For the first time, a resident of Cornersville spoke in favor of the tower. Pat Tozer said, “I’m here to support the tower.”
Trina Rios addressed some of the reasons the Site Plan was denied. “This is what we were supposed to follow for a Site Plan…We’ve stated this over and over again.”
In the Site Plan denial that was also submitted to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, it reads:
“Please see below the Site Plan Requirements from Article 5 under Telecommunication Towers. The highlighted provisions were not completed and therefore do not meet approval for the Site Plan. Items in Article 7 of the Site Plan Review were also not met and listed below. Several important processes and ordinances were not followed by the Zoning Administrator. Below are the reasons for the Planning Commission denial with a 4-1 vote regarding the application and site plan application (same submission.)”
Under Article 5, it mentions page 9 under E. Telecommunication Towers D. Application: An application is the completed site plan application form (and all accompanying documents, exhibits, and fees required)…The Planning Commission is not sure if any fees were required but if they were none have been paid by the applicant.
The document continues: Article 5 E. Item 6. Site Plan Requirements page 1o. The Planning Commission’s denial lists “answers/comments that are required for an approved site plan in Article 5 which is part of the site plan approval process” and goes into detail in sections a, b, and c. It also covers Article 7 page 4, Item C Required Site Plan, and number one of Article 7.
Taylor Brandon’s 21-page document entitled Planning Commission Site Plan Review Requirements Pursuant to Ordinance 22-2274 is contained within the denial. So are a notice of Public Hearing, Board of Zoning Appeals Application, affidavit of mailing, mailing list for Site Plan Review, communications between Brandon and Faulk & Foster, as well as email communications relating to the cell phone tower.
The public is allowed to request a copy of the document from the Town of Cornersville if you would like to read all 48 pages. To do so, you must fill out a Public Records Request and provide a copy of your photo ID or Driver’s License. Public records can be requested by paper copy for a minimal expense per page, by inspection free of charge, or electronically.
The following zoning ordinances passed unanimously. Ordinance 24-339 Hwy 31A Zoning from Lynnville Hwy to N. Park St passed its second reading. Ordinance 25-340 Hwy 31 Zoning from N. Park St. to Spencer Alley passed its first reading.
The board briefly discussed Resolution 25-341, the Transportation Planning Grant. It was discussed in the January Planning Commission meeting. Mayor John Luna said he wants to be sure the town looks at “the bigger picture” when things are done. Brandon said this was awarded “back in January 2024” and will help to address traffic calming measures and improve pedestrian walkways in town. The resolution passed 5-0.
On the agenda, under Other Business, the cell tower was listed first.
Janice Kerber motioned to approve the tower and Doris Arthur seconded the motion. There was no call for a vote, but Mayor Luna asked, “How could we approve it when we didn’t have what we needed?”
After more than 30 minutes of discussion, Kerber motioned again.
“I move to approve the application for the height, location, and special use for the cell tower on the Burrow’s property as per the 60-day rule in the Zoning Ordinance,” Kerber said.
Doris Arthur seconded the motion and Mary Johnson joined as the third yes. Taylor Pickett and Sherry McClintock voted no. It passed by a 3-2 vote.
Kerber immediately moved to “approve the site plan based on no sufficient justification from the planning committee for reason for denial.”
It also passed by a 3-2 vote. Kerber, Arthur, and Johnson voted yes. Pickett and McClintock voted no.
Kerber added, “I have one more. I move that we allow Taylor Brandon to issue a Zoning Compliance letter to Southern Towers.”
It passed by a 3-2 vote. Kerber, Arthur, and Johnson voted yes. Pickett and McClintock voted no.
This means that with a 3-2 vote, the Site Plan denial issued by the Planning Commission, was reversed by Janice Kerber, Doris Arthur, and Mary Johnson.
Also under Other Business were Public Works projects, potential street light locations, and an update on the CDGB Sidewalk Grant.
Next, was Appointment/Confirmation for BZA Vacancy. Pickett made a motion to nominate Michael Logelin to serve on the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA.) McClintock seconded Logelin’s nomination. Kerber, Arthur, and Johnson voted no.b Pickett and McClintock voted yes. The motion failed by a 3-2 vote.
Mayor Luna asked Steven Prosser if he would be willing to serve on the committee and he replied, “No, the same three would just vote against me too.”
The seat on the committee remained unfilled.
The meeting adjourned at 7:21 p.m.
