In the midst of the zoning controversy surrounding the Chelsea North-Dunnavant Valley South-Westover North Beat stands the county’s Department of Development Services.

Development Services is responsible for re-drawing the beats following the 2000 census as well as the bulk of the work on the county’s comprehensive plan, which was adopted by the commission late last year.

Many residents who turned out at the commission meeting Monday night directed their anger toward portions of that comprehensive plan.

The comprehensive plan focuses on making Shelby County a &uot;community of communities,&uot; and zoning is one tool to reach that end, according to the plan.

Planning services supervisor Todd McDonald said there were a number of advantages to zoning.

&uot;Zoning provides a level of property stability,&uot; he said.

For instance, McDonald said, if a property owner buys a five-acre lot and builds a $250,000 house on it, then another property owner comes in next door and raises fighting roosters, the property value of the five-acre lot and $250,000 house will &uot;greatly diminish.&uot;

&uot;With zoning in place, that property owner would have a say what that use would be,&uot; he said.

McDonald said it may not be wise to use this recent vote to zone as a gauge how other beats in the county will choose to proceed.

&uot;However, there are some areas of the county that are going to experience significant changes in land use soon. I would hope they see the value in zoning,&uot; he said