Loudon blocks rezoning request

Parker Wright news-herald.net

Loudon City Council on Monday denied a rezoning ordinance after it led to debate at the April 13 workshop.

Councilman Johnny James had been vocal about not allowing the rezoning of Cedar Park Drive from a C-4 Interchange Commercial District to an R-3 Urban Residential District, pointing out possible increases in traffic and overcrowding.

James said residents of a neighboring subdivision voiced concerns. Councilman Tim Dixon made a motion to approve the change despite previously saying he was not in favor of the resolution. The motion failed for lack of a second.

“I listened to the public, the people that’s involved, because I don’t live out there,” James said after the meeting. “I have a lot of people contacting me and brought a petition to me that do live in proximity thereof and almost adjacent to and in one instance adjacent to, and I’m not against a subdivision, not at all, if there’s an R-1 there. Everything has to have its place and I just don’t think that’s the place. I just spoke for the people and did what they asked me to do. It’s not my place to say what I want, because what I want doesn’t matter. It’s what the public wants and what the public gets that matters.”

A different ordinance from the Loudon Regional Planning Commission was passed earlier in the meeting after its second reading during the prior public hearing. The ordinance allows for recreational vehicle parks to operate in Loudon with regulations.

“This was requested by a developer interested in a RV park,” Ty Ross, Loudon manager, said. “Attorney (Kris) Frye has had dialogue with this developer. He’s received comments on this proposed legislation. It’s truly Cadillac camping. It’s not primitive camping. There’s many requirements inside of it including 24-hour supervision by a manager as well as designated amenities.”

Dixon spoke on behalf of the planning commission.

“Everyone on the planning commission is in agreement with this,” he said. “There was no — no one had anything negative to say about it.”

James and Dixon motioned and seconded, respectively, with the vote passing.

In other news, Loudon City Council:

• Accepted a fuel bid from Rogers Petroleum Inc., for the projected amount of $7,263.20 (unleaded gasoline $0.7350 and low sulfur undyed diesel $1.0990).

• Amended the 2019-20 fiscal year budget to include a medical plan funding increase by authorizing $86,736 in deposits into the city’s medical fund.

• Amended the 2019-20 fiscal year budget to reallocate the Courthouse Square Fund to various façade grant programs.