CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A day after Tennessee announced a new location for Chattanooga’s Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute, some residents and local leaders say they were caught off guard and frustrated by what they described as a lack of public engagement.
State officials say the new hospital will be built on a property just off Birmingham Highway, saying the industrial area is what made the site attractive.
But residents noted the proposed location is close to neighborhoods. Google Maps shows the property is about 1.3 miles from homes.
Paul Sutter, a Lookout Valley resident, says he understands the current facility needs room to expand…