Dry Valley residents oppose zoni

Loudon County Commission and Loudon City Council gave updates on annexations, rezoning and land agreements at meetings last week.

Numerous residents raised concerns about the possible annexation and rezoning of property on Dry Valley Road.

All residents who raised concerns are opposed to a change to M-1, which would allow industry and manufacturing. The property is currently an A-1 agricultural zone.

Dry Valley sits in a quiet area of Loudon. With a small subdivided community on one side and more agricultural space on the other, residents and Loudon County Commission agreed an M-1 zone would be disruptive and unnecessary. Some even made the case the change would be unsafe for children and families.

Six residents who live on or adjacent to Dry Valley spoke Monday at a council workshop about how much changing the property would impact quality of life.

Mike Thompson, who lives three miles from the road, made bold statements about changing the property.

“I oppose, as I stated in the planning commission meeting,” Thompson said. “I didn’t come to your town, you came to mine. I’m not opposed to growth. I’m not opposed to men of vision, but, as I stated, men of vision also have to have ears to hear, mouths to communicate and thick skin sometimes.

“I don’t have any other thoughts but to say this is not a good idea,” he added.

Jim Self, president of the James Ridge Home Owners Association, spoke on behalf of the community. Many other James Ridge residents were in attendance.

“If annexed and rezoned (to M-1), almost anything can be built on this property,” Self said. “Dry Valley Road itself is the access to the property. It is not designed for truck traffic. In fact, today there’s a sign on both ends of Dry Valley Road that says, ‘No Trucks’.”

When attendees at the meeting were asked how many were opposed to the annexation and M-1 rezone and turning rural Loudon into an urban jungle like Knoxville, nearly everyone raised their hand.

Due to an incomplete application, Loudon Regional Planning Commission denied the annexation request.

But at the council workshop, Loudon Mayor Jeff Harris explained the denied application was due to missed steps.

“Before we can annex it, this was really an incomplete application because the planning commission has to review a plan of service and that plan of service is police protection, fire protection, sanitation, all those things,” Harris said. “They have to review that and send it to city council.

“... We’ve got to send this back to the planning commission for them to review a plan of services and that will come back to city council for two public hearings,” he added.

Harris told the audience that the new application and proposal will feature a zoning request but not for M-1. Although the property owner is still seeking rezoning and annexation, the new plan is likely for a residential zone.

During a Nov. 6 meeting of Loudon County Commission, Commissioner Gary Whitfield said after speaking with Harris and other officials that he was under the impression there wouldn’t be a change to M-1.

Whitfield has proposed an interlocal agreement, which would state the property in question is safe from M-1 zoning. Although nothing was mentioned at the council workshop, county commissioners have been vocal in opposing the property’s development.

“The only say the county has at this point is that we feel, the county feels, that property is not contiguous with any other city property and that there may be an issue with the annexation,” Whitfield said. “Then our problem with the M-1 zoning was we felt it was spot zoning. Every piece of property around there is zoned A-1 and A-2 and that M-1 would be considered a spot zoning.”

The next council meeting is Nov. 27, but no update will be given regarding Dry Valley Road. More information is expected at a Dec. 18 workshop and meeting.

Loudon Regional Planning Commission will meet Dec. 6. Loudon County Commission meets the first Monday of every month.