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Blount County planning commission debates scaling back open‑space rules after cluster program sees no applications
Summary
At a work session, Blount County planning commissioners discussed revising the county's cluster‑development rules — including the required share of open space — after the current program produced no applications and commissioners said it functions like a de facto moratorium.
Blount County planning commissioners met in a work session to discuss possible changes to the county's cluster‑development rules, focusing on the required share of open space, whether the rules incentivize developers, and whether the ordinance is accomplishing the county's goals. No formal motions or votes were recorded during the session; staff asked commissioners what, if any, specific materials they wanted prepared for next month's meeting.
Commissioner McClellan opened the discussion and called for commissioners to weigh in on whether the current cluster provisions are delivering the outcomes intended when the program was updated. Commissioners and staff traced the regulation's history to earlier county subdivision rules and to a 2005 Hunter Interest study, noting that cluster development has appeared in local rules for years but that the design and intent vary widely.
Why it matters: cluster development rules affect how and where housing is built — whether lots are smaller but grouped to preserve open space, or whether…
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