Lamb asked to draft proposal revising zoning regulations

By Joel Davis
of The Daily Times Staff

The Blount County Planning Commission has asked Planning Director John Lamb to draft a proposal to increase the allowable density of residential units permitted in those portions of the R-1, Rural District, that lie within the urban growth boundaries of local municipalities.
The Planning Commission voted unanimously Thursday to direct Lamb to bring a proposal to revise existing zoning regulations to allow up to three housing units per acre within those areas of the R-1 designation that lie within the existing urban growth boundaries and would be served by city sewer.
The proposal would address what Lamb described as “inconsistency in those areas zoned R-1 within the Urban Growth Boundaries of Maryville and Alcoa where sewer could be extended to allow higher density development” in a June 19 memo. The area covered is mainly to the east of Maryville and Alcoa towards Little River. Raven Society Chair Kathleen Skinner, who attended the meeting, said the proposal is compatible with smart growth principles.
“A key smart growth strategy is to promote residential density within urban growth areas,” she said. “In fact, not too is more important than increasing density of existing communities and new developments on city sewer.”
Jim Lord, who is hoping to develop multifamily housing on a 92-acre property on Peppermint Road that would meet the criteria of the proposal, encouraged the commissioners to consider the idea.
“Certainly, we’re not talking about sand-filtration here, and we’re certainly not talking about building outside the urban growth boundaries,” he said. “That is a splendid area for high-density development. It’s an underusage of the land to use it at 1.2 units per acre.”
County Commissioner Gary Farmer said he has supported the idea of increased density where sewer is available.
The Blount County Commission in April voted down a controversial proposal to change the maximum density of residential units in the R-1, Rural District, in all areas of the county.
Commissioner Holden Lail told Lamb he wanted to make sure that the effects of the increase on the county schools infrastructure would be discussed.
“We are looking at dropping in a load of kids on Blount County Schools,” he said.