In the zone

All meetings are
schedule for 7 p.m.

The Sevier County Planning Office will continue its survey of the county’s communities on the zoning issue. David Taylor stated in his monthly report to the Planning Commission that he has three parts in each meeting: discussion of the current powers, limitations and roles of the Planning Commission and Planning office; discussion of what options and powers the county can adopt in zoning regulations under Tennessee law; and then listening and documenting what residents have to say regarding zoning in their communities.
The meetings are preliminary steps for Taylor’s office in developing a recommendation for the Planning Commission. Any proposal will have to be approved by the commission, then sent to the Sevier County Commission for another vote. Expectations are that no proposals will be ready for review before the spring of 2004.
Already members of the Planning Commission are staking out their territory in this controversial area. James Temple Jr. stated during the course of discussion at the April meeting that, “we have not been given the tools to control the development in this county.” Later in the debate over the troubled Heartland Development project in the Chilhowee View subdivision of Seymour, Commissioner Garold Van Rhea issued a note of warning, “I don’t want this room full of people trying to stop every development we have in the future.”
Sevier county residents are urged to attend one of the local meetings to express their views and desires on the future of development controls in the county.

Planned Zoning Discussion Meetings

Tuesday, April 29th Waldens Creek Pigeon Forge Primary
Monday, May 5th Dupont Dupont Community Center
Tuesday, May 6th Wears Valley Wearwood Elementary
Monday, May 12th Boyd’s Creek Seymour Primary
Tuesday, May 20th Seymour Seymour High
Tuesday, May 27th Jones Cove Jones Cove Elementary
Thursday, May 29th Catons Chapel Catons Chapel Elementary