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Article published Feb 22, 2007 County planners to consider looser zoning
By Joel Davis of The Daily Times Staff
Several amendments to relax zoning regulations are on tap for the Blount County Planning Commission today, but a citizens group contends the proposals are for private gain rather than the public good.
Building Commissioner Roger Fields said the changes were being discussed at the request of planning commissioners and County Mayor Jerry Cunningham.
"Some of the commissioners brought (these items) to my attention and made this proposal to take before the Planning Commission for possible change to allow a little more diversity in the kind of construction in those type of zones," Fields said.
The Raven Society political action committee is concerned that the changes are being made on behalf of private individuals rather than the public.
"We don't protect what the public asked us to protect in the first place," said Raven Society Chairman William "Booty" Miller.
The proposed changes to the zoning regulations would:
ä Increase the maximum building height in both the Suburbanizing District and Commercial District designations from 35 feet to 55 feet.
ä Change the maximum density of residential units in the R-1, Rural District, designation from 1.2 units per acre to three units per acre, if the development is served by municipal sewer or a sand-filtration septic system.
"If a developer has a development and he wants to put it on a sand-filtration (septic) system, an alternative form of treating septic, it would allow them more density," said Building Commissioner Roger D. Fields. "This is a proposed three residential units per acre."
ä Allow high-density multifamily residential developments in the Rural Arterial Commercial, RAC, zones to be built fronting 26-foot-wide roads, which are narrower than currently allowed.
"Right now, we've got a high-density development standard that allows 13 units per acre," Fields said. "Right now, it's limited to four-lane highways. This would allow it to be on roads that are definitely arterial, but don't meet the four-lane restriction, like William Blount Drive and Topside Road — major roadways that just don't have four lanes."
ä Delete the maximum combined building size limit for developments in the RAC zones.
Currently, the maximum total area of buildings on a single property in the RAC district is 10,000 square feet. The proposed amendment would delete the maximum, but the total area could not exceed 40 percent of the lot size.
The Blount County Planning Commission will meet at 5:30 p.m. today at the courthouse.If you go
The Blount County Planning Commission meets at 5:30 p.m. today at the courthouse.