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Alcoa Planning Commission approved a site plan for a 108-unit apartment complex on a 10.32-acre tract on East Old Topside Road at Topside Road before an angry crowd of about 65 people Thursday night.

The crowd for almost two hours voiced passionate objections to the complex, which would generate 800 trips a day in vehicles.

The city of Alcoa annexed the property effective May 8, according to Alcoa City Manager Mark Johnson.

Mitch Taylor, a Conger Road resident, said there is a 15-page petition from citizens opposing the project. "We beg of you, please, don't put this blight in our neighborhood," he said. "We're just sitting here watching our property values and our lifestyles plummet."

After the meeting, he said the group will "most definitely" file a lawsuit to prevent the complex.

Dorothy Brice, who lives on TVA Lab Road, said, "My property will be depreciated. It's totally unfair. Nobody contacted the property owners. It's like you're kicking us to the curb."

Alcoa Planner Chris Hamby said there had been a public meeting earlier on the project for residents.

Gary Stine, who live on Rivertrace, said, "You are about to bring in an outsider to change the very nature of hundreds of families that live in this area. It's not a change, it's an invasion. Please protect the residents as you were appointed to do."

Attorney David Buuck, representing some residents, used to live on Bear Hollow Loop and travel on Topside Road. "I don't think there is a worse place to put a 180-unit complex," he said.

He questioned whether Alcoa Residence District B density would allow a complex of this size.

Hamby said density could be up to 17 units per acre and this complex is way below that.

Mayor and Planning Commissioner Don Mull said, "Whoever the developer is, if they meet all the city rules and regulations, I don't know how we can prevent it."

Some residents said they feel this is a "done deal" and they have no say in it. They are county residents represented by Blount County Commission and thus have no representation in Alcoa.

Commission Chairman Bill Proffitt said "it's not a done deal." But he also said, "It's not fair to deny people the use of their property."

The developer is ESSA-ARP.

Constance Mills, who has lived on Heron Hill Drive for 40 years, said she has enjoyed her privacy and "you're going to ram this down my throat and I don't like it. We should have been in on the planning from the first. I have good neighbors."

City attorney Shelly Wilson told the group that the commission has violated no laws on this project.

Hamby said even if the city of Alcoa had not annexed the property within its urban growth boundary, the same size complex could have been built in Blount County because it was already zoned for medium density.

The commission unanimously approved the site plan and also recommended to Alcoa City Commission zoning the tract Residence District B.

Site plan approval is subject to several requirements, including appropriate zoning being approved, right turn lane, sidewalks, trail system, clear vegetation for sight distance, approval of landscaping plan and signage.