The Daily Times

Maryville Planning Commission has given final approval to the 100-lot Valley View Farms Subdivision, the city’s first major residential development since the recession began five years ago.

In addition, Unit 5 of Dominion Downs is expected to add 62 units on 39 lots on 10 acres off Best Road.

The last time a subdivision of comparable size was approved inside the city limits was 96 lots in Holland Springs approved in 2007. Brantley Park with 90 lots began in 2006.

Outside the city, in the urban growth boundary, Morganton Reserve with 122 lots was approved in 2011.

Valley View is inside the city limits, and Dominion Downs is in Maryville’s urban growth boundary.

Developer Darrell Tipton started both subdivisions.

Valley View Farms, which is located off Sevierville Road, received preliminary approval in 2005 and site preparation began in 2006, and then the economy tanked.

The road network, water, sewer and sidewalks on one side of the street have been completed and are essentially the same as originally proposed in 2005.

Originally it was to be a 206-unit duplex called Asbury Villas. Two access points were planned — one at the main entrance along Sevierville Road and the other connecting to the adjacent Asbury Acres retirement community at Wilders Chapel Road.

However, the project went into foreclosure before any residential structures were built.

Now Greenbank is developing the project and has hired Rocky Smith of Smith Builders Inc. as the developer.

The concept plan for the residential community has been transfigured, going from a planned 206 duplexes to 100 single-family homes.

Phase I will contain 62 lots on 24.6 acres.

Parade of homes

Smith said Valley View will be part of a regional Parade of Homes to be held Sept. 30-Oct. 2, Oct. 7-9 and Oct. 14-16 featuring new homes in Blount, Loudon, Knox and Anderson counties.

The builders are ready to start on 10 or 12 of the homes, which will be 2,200- to 3,000-square-feet in size, Smith said. Lots will range between 8,000 and 10,000 square feet.

The usable open space will be where Ellington Drive, Daventry Drive and Wilders Chapel Road intersect.

Planning Commissioner Tom Hodge, who said he is in favor of the project, questioned the plan to have over half of the 5 percent of open space along a 24-foot ditch line across the back of the project.

“We need to make sure open space is really usable open space,” he said during Monday night’s planning commission meeting.

Currently a model home and information center is under construction in the development, being built by Smithbilt Homes.

Preliminary plat approval has expired for Dominion Downs Phase 5, which is located off Best Road.

Tipton wants to start construction on the back phase of the development now that economic conditions are apparently improving.

Builder Jeff Headrick wants to get started on the construction soon, but planners had some questions for the staff to look into and did not approve the preliminary plat again.

They offered to have a called meeting later to consider the request.

Royal Oaks lot

Royal Oaks Golfing Community Property Owners Association President Joe Soutello asked the commission for final approval on a replat of lot 336 on St. Johns Drive and to remove the reservation of that lot as another entrance into the back side of Royal Oaks.

This would connect with another subdivision should one be developed there.

The association purchased lot 336 when foreclosure was threatened and now want to sell the lot.

There is another lot the Royal Oaks association thinks could be an alternative to provide access to the Ben Robertson farm. Planners agreed to take a look at the possible entrance lot swap.

The slate of new officers includes Chairman Mike Owens, Vice Chairman Bill Henegar and legislative representative Fred Metz.