County commissioners said no Monday, March 16, to a request by Lisega Inc. to rezone property on East Dumplin Valley Road that is designated for business use to industrial zoning. The decision means the county could lose revenue and the potential for hundreds of new jobs.
County Mayor Larry Waters called for two votes on the rezoning request and in both cases the motion for rezoning failed in an 11-11 tie. Thirteen votes were needed for approval of rezoning the Frank McCall & George Hickman property to industrial use.
Commissioners Gary Cole, Bryan Delius and Harold Pittner were absent.
Opposition to rezoning the Lisega property at 370 E. Dumplin Valley Road in Kodak was registered during the public hearing.
 David Jones, who owns an adjoining property, said he believes E Dumplin Valley Road should remain a commercial property instead of industrial.
Joe Sword, who owns 525 W Dumplin Valley Road, feels “it is not in the best interest of the county” to go forward with the rezoning. He said exit 407 on I-40 is the front door to the Great Smoky Mountains and should not have industry on its doorstep. Sword says he is for new business in the county but feels Lisega should be in an industrial park.
 Julie Watson, who bought a place on Hardwood Road, is opposed to having an industrial plant near her home when there are “industrial parks are in the county.”
Commissioner Kent Wood from the Eight District in Kodak moved to deny the rezoning.  Saying that space could be assembled in the Smith-Thomas industrial park for Lisega by buying land those owners are willing to sell to expand the park. He also questioned where the utilities to serve the property would come. The electric would be from Appalachian Electric and the water/sewer would be from Shady Grove Utility District, he said.
Commissioner Gene Byrd, also from the Eighth District, agreed with Wood, adding that the rezoning would amount to spot-zoning.
 Commissioner Fred Atchley asked for Alan Newton from the Sevier County Economic Development Council to speak, despite objections from Commissioner Kenneth Whaley. Commissioner Kenneth Whaley objected because the public comment session was over. Newton explained why Lisega wants to move from Cocke County to Sevier County. The plant needed to expand, he said. It needed a better-educated work force, and Lisega was unhappy with a sewer facility next to their plant. He said the plant was going to move to Greenville, S.C.; however, Cocke County and Sevier County went to the state to save the 179 Tennessee jobs and to gain additional jobs in Sevier County. Newton said that, based on the topography of the Smith-Thomas Industrial Park,  even with additional land the engineers did not think it was cost effective.
 Commissioner Warren Hurst asked how many Sevier County employees were now working at Lisega. Seven employees from the county are currently working for Lisega.
 Commissioner Jim Keener asked if the McCall property is adjacent to the City of Sevierville. There is one property between McCall and the city boundary. Keener said the city could annex the property and develop it if they chose to do so.
 Commissioner Kent Wood said the three commissioners from the Eighth District were not opposed to Lisega but wanted to confine industry to industrial parks.  
OTHER BUSINESS
  The commissioners voted to rezone these properties: 760 Asheville Hwy. from agricultural to rural commercial district: 400 Block of Mill Creek Rd from rural residential to general commercial;  the 2000 Block of Roberts Court from rural residential to general commercial.

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