The City of Tullahoma is suing Alderman Jenna Amacher over what it calls “violations of city ordinances.”
According to the city, it sued in an attempt to get her to comply with city codes for a residence she is building on Ledford Mill Road.
WKRN-TV Reports:
According to the complaint filed in Coffee County Chancery Court, the city wants a declaratory judgment stating Amacher must comply with all city ordinances and building codes if she is to reside in the home she is building on the outskirts of town.
The complaint stems from land on Ledford Mill Road that Amacher purchased in 2021. The property is zoned residential per the Tullahoma zoning map, and Amacher stated her intention to build a single-family home on it. However, it is also eligible for taxation under the Agricultural, Forest, and Open Space Land Act of 1976, more commonly known as the “Greenbelt Law.”
However, the city claims the Greenbelt Law is only for tax purposes and is not a zoning statute. The city’s zoning ordinances still apply, the city says in the suit, and Amacher’s property is zoned R-1 residential.
In order to build her home, Amacher was required to obtain building permits, comply with code inspections, including a fire inspection, and submit a site plan.
According to the suit, Amacher declined to provide a site plan, stating it wasn’t required for agricultural property. Still, she applied for a building permit and a stormwater permit in October 2022.
During a subsequent inspection by the Tullahoma Fire Department, Amacher was informed that she would be required to install a fire hydrant within 600 feet of her property. Per the suit, the hydrant was required in order to ensure the fire department had “a proper water source” should she have a fire.
Amacher again claimed such a requirement was unnecessary due to her property being agricultural.
According to the complaint, Amacher’s building permit expired in May of 2023, and she was asked to request a new one from the Codes department. However, the city claims Amacher said she would not do so, asserting again that her property was agricultural and not subject to city codes. She also reportedly told city officials she would need to be sued in order to comply with the codes.
The city also feels Amacher’s position as an elected official makes the matter more complicated, and it wants to avoid the appearance of favoritism, according to the suit.
Amacher spoke up for herself at the most recent city meeting on Monday, March 25. During the public comment portion of the meeting, she said no one could force a citizen to install a sprinkler system in a residential, single-story house on 20 acres of farmland “merely because it’s on 20 acres of farmland. That would be a violation of agricultural exemption laws.”
City Administrator Jason Quick said following Amacher’s comment that the board “fully understands” the reason for the lawsuit and stressed that the lawsuit is a simple request for a ruling on the rules.
Separate Case:
In an unrelated lawsuit, Amacher is being sued by her own attorney. The Crain Law Group represented her when she won her case, proving she was a resident of Tullahoma in 2023. Judge Greg Perry ruled in her favor, and Amacher was able to keep her seat on the board. The Crain Law Group is demanding payment for services rendered in the amount of nearly $80,000.
