Growth an election lightning rod

Candidates for Loudon County Commission met with Realtors and homebuilders Thursday to discuss issues related to residential development.

The meeting at Avalon Country Club in Lenoir City was sponsored by the Home Builders Association of Greater Knoxville and the Knoxville Association of Realtors. Candidates were asked to present their vision for future growth in the county.

Top on the list of issues discussed was the six-month moratorium on Planned Unit Developments passed by commission in October. After an extension in February, the moratorium remains in effect pending a series of meetings to gather community feedback.

Ashley Burnette, executive vice president of the Home Builders Association of Greater Knoxville, said his group was concerned about the moratorium.

“You have to have a balance with development,” he said. “We want to have a discussion about how to get to that balance.”

Burnette said fears about new housing overwhelming infrastructure and the budget of the county are not taking into account the many ways housing pays for itself.

“It’s not just property taxes,” he said. “These new residents go to the store and restaurants. That generates sales tax for the county and cities.”

Candidates expressed concern about the moratorium and support for continued controlled growth.

Commissioner Julia Hurley, a Realtor running for District 2 Seat A, is on record opposing the moratorium. She said she was at the meeting to hear what homebuilders thought.

“They build here and create jobs,” Hurley said. “Their voice matters.”

Hurley also said she was concerned the moratorium led to a lawsuit against the county from a homebuilder. She said the county was now at risk of losing millions of dollars.

David Ball, a Realtor and candidate for District 5 Seat A, said he didn’t think the moratorium was the best way to approach development. He said there is a national housing shortage and a need for a range of housing choices to meet demand.

“I want data-driven growth,” Ball said. “I think we should have an impact study to determine how to maintain balanced growth.”

William Jenkins, candidate for District 2 Seat A, said he supported growth and development in moderation. He said commission should not be applying a blanket moratorium across the entire county.

“Lenoir City is not the same as Greenback,” Jenkins said. “There are different needs in different parts of the county.”

Rosemary Quillen, a Realtor and candidate for District 2 Seat A, said she was for controlled growth. She said residential development was necessary to fill the need for housing and support the tax base.

“I am for growth,” Quillen said. “I know it’s hard for some people, but there are lots of people that are for growth. They need homes for their families.”

As a former member of the Lenoir City Board of Education, Quillen said she understood the relationship between property taxes and school funding. Growth in the tax base has helped improve the school system, she said, pointing out that a lot of the people moving into the county don’t have children.

Melissa Browder, candidate for District 5 on the Loudon County Board of Education, did not speak at the meeting. She said she was attending to learn more about the relationship between development and property tax revenue. She said she knows adequate school funding requires a growing tax base.

Eddie Simpson, candidate for District 5 Seat B on commission, said growth is inevitable and necessary. He said he had experience promoting growth during his years on Lenoir City Council. Loudon County has gained about $52 million in tax revenue from growth in Lenoir City, he said.

“I want to grow the tax base and I think most people want that,” he said.

Simpson said limiting all new subdivisions to just two units per acre is too restrictive. Simpson said he doesn’t want broad restrictions on PUDs, noting each development must be looked at carefully. Some higher density developments have proven quite successful and property values have risen, which creates more tax revenue, he said.

Commercial developer Mark Matlock, who is running for District 6 commission, said he is very pro growth. He said he has seen lots of changes in the county, including an increase in tax-producing commercial real estate. He said the growth of commercial business requires a balance of residential development.

“We go where the rooftops are,” he said. “I can’t do what I do in a desert.”

Matlock said he would like to see the county follow a growth plan based on a structured vision.

“We’ve been running by the seat of our pants,” he said.

Commissioner Van Shaver, candidate for District 5 Seat B, is a supporter of the PUD moratorium. He attended the Avalon meeting but did not address the group. He said he went to speak to voters from his district who wanted to know why he voted for the moratorium.

Shaver said there were few voters from his district at the meeting, adding that homebuilders and Realtors already knew his position on residential development.

“I think they know I am not against development but that I am for limits on development,” he said. “I want a limit on the number of units per acre that we will allow.”