The Buck Stops Here: Seymour’s growth may be its demise

As a resident of Seymour, or nearby anyway, it’s hard not to notice all of the land that is being auctioned and turned into developments. A short drive around the immediate area will prove that many are making the move from outside our community to become a resident of one of the best places to live in the county. Many of these homes that are being built are the kind that most of us just wish for. Huge white columns, big garages, and the living areas look like they would be five or six bedrooms. They grace the countryside looking like great pillars of the community, housing the next generation of Seymour residents. Where do all these new residents come from? Although we are seeing a slight increase in business construction around the area, there is no comparison to the new residential construction. Money is being spent on the land that surrounds us, but is the money staying here in the immediate area or flowing out to the outlying towns and cities? Are many of our new residents working elsewhere and living here? Sevier County has always been a desirable draw to the middle to upper class; property taxes are low and if you get in on the ground floor, you can still get some great deals on land. Those deals allow those with disposable income to build new houses and live in them part-time, or even lease them to other comparable clients. Real estate offices are springing up as fast as banks in the area. It doesn’t take long to figure out that Seymour has more banks per capita than anywhere in the area. That of course is not official, but merely an observation. With all this new construction, how long will it be before the community of Seymour will become the City of Seymour? Will we be forced to create our government complete with mayor and a police force? Many will say yes. Think about how long it takes to drive to Sevierville because of traffic, or how long it takes to get emergency services here. The increase in residential housing increases the load on our volunteer fire department and the Sevier County Sheriff’s Department. With each new house, we create electrical problems, sewage problems and water usage increases. Someone will end up bearing the burden of the growth. Seymour is slowly becoming a haven for those who want to live here to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city, when in fact all the new housing is creating just that, another city-- one without the thought of consequences of growth.