County mulls zoning changes
 

A lot of planning regulations that are in place are very private property controlled,” Shaver said. “There’s many, many more, this is just the top — this is the easy, low-hanging fruit to pick on. This is what happens monthly that I get the calls from and I’m sure others do and the new folks you will too, you’ll get calls about this sort of stuff. It just runs foul for me for government to control my private property.”

Kelly Littleton-Brewster, commissioner, asked if changes would apply to subdivisions.
 
“They’ve moved into that knowing what their restrictions are,” Shaver said. “When you move into the city, you move into subdivisions, you understand when you move in I live by these codes. If you go into Tellico Village you know what your regulations are.”
 
“Tellico Village is different,” Julia Hurley, commissioner, added. “There’s plenty of subdivisions that don’t have covenants and restrictions and they’re still subdivisions. So technically this would also apply to that.”
 
Littleton-Brewster questioned what was an accessory structure and asked Laura Smith, county planning director, for an explanation.
 
Smith said accessory structures applied to a building that’s subordinate to a principal structure.
 
“So a (garage), shed, storage building,” Smith said. “We could add additional language to the zoning to further define that, but that’s how it’s interpreted is if you want to put a detached garage on your property then in Loudon County in the A-1, A-2 and the R-1, they can go in the side or rear yard. They can be as close as 5 feet from the property line. They don’t have to meet the stricter setback as for principal structure, and the planning commission had talked about at the last workshop amending it to maybe allow them in the front yard if you have a certain amount of acreage, maybe more than 3 acres or 5 acres and then with that being said that accessory structure meets the same setbacks as the principal structure.”
 
Although not a voting member, Rollen “Buddy” Bradshaw, county mayor, expressed his concerns.
 
“I understand both sides 100 percent, but at the same time I don’t want something that’s going in my neighbor’s yard that would cause my property to lose value, and there’s no cap,” Bradshaw said. “What’s to keep somebody from putting six 500-foot structures in their front yard and all of a sudden they’re running whatever they’re in and wherever they’re at?”
 
Ultimately, Monday’s decision was just a recommendation for the planning commission to consider and change accordingly, Shaver said.
 
“Somebody needs to go around or change or special accept or variance to the rules, but you can’t do that unless you give us $100, and then if we don’t approve you don’t get your $100 back anyhow,” Shaver said. “So that’s the reason for the $100.”

Library help tabled

A potential $15,000 contribution to assist the Public Library at Tellico Village with repair costs was tabled by Henry Cullen, commission chairman, before the meeting began.
 
The library in August was damaged when heavy rainfall caused a drainage pump to fail. Damages are not covered by insurance.
Cullen tabled the item because there were too many questions before a vote could be made. Plans are now for Becky Haile, Friends of the Tellico Village Library president, to attend the county capital projects committee meeting Oct. 15 to provide clarification.
 
“If she’s satisfied all the questions and the capital projects committee votes on it, it’ll come to the budget committee and I don’t think it’ll have a problem,” Cullen said in a follow-up interview.
 
The contribution will not be voted on by full commission if it fails in either committee, he said.
 
“If it can’t get through the budget committee it doesn’t make it,” Cullen said. “I doubt if it makes capital projects that it’ll fail in the budget committee. That’s my humble opinion.”
 
In other news, Loudon County Commission:
 
• Allowed Eddie Simpson, county road superintendent, to use $500,000 from the Fund 131 fund balance to cover road pavings before the asphalt plant closes for the year. The amendment was added at the beginning of the meeting. Streets include Clear Branch Road South, Mayo Road, Shaw Ferry Road (from Highway 11 to Martel), Miller Road, Turman Drive, Easter Ridge Road, North Trigonia Road, Steel Road and Pinegrove Circle.
 
• Authorized an updated 2018-19 road list.
 
• Donated playground equipment to the city of Greenback.
 
• Passed a purchasing committee recommendation to accept Humana care for retiree insurance, which decreased by $27.91 per member per month, Susan Huskey, county purchasing director, said.
 
• Rezoned .5 acres at 7250 Highway 11 East in Lenoir City from R-1 Suburban Residential District to C-2 General Commercial District.
 
• Passed amendments to Public Library Fund 115, Highway Department Fund 131, General Purpose School Fund 141, School Federal Projects Fund 142, Central Cafeterias Fund 143 and Education Capital Projects Fund 177.
 
• Updated the Geographic Information System board terms, which include Jack Qualls, Michael Campbell, Ryne Clinard, Ty Ross, Ryan Janikula, John Davis and Patty Terry.
 
• Tweaked the county vacation policy to allow hour increments instead of half-day increments. Loudon County Sheriff’s Office and Loudon County Clerk & Master office opted out of the change.

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10/8/18