The Loudon County Board of Zoning Appeals voted to approve a rezoning request to change a parcel from A-1 (agricultural/forestry) to A-2 (rural residential), after a motion, second and an aye vote by the panel.

Neighbors who live adjacent to the property urged the board to deny the change during public comment, saying the move would allow multiple houses where the area historically has one residence per tract. Resident Kitty Cox and other neighbors said trees had been cleared beyond property lines and that a newly placed high‑voltage utility line on the parcel suggested the site was being prepared to serve more than one house.

The neighbors stressed that they moved to the area for rural character and to preserve agricultural and forestry uses. Raul Grisemore said he has enrolled 26 acres of his land in the Greenbelt Act and said the prospect of multiple houses on newly rezoned tracts “sets a precedent” that could lead to further subdivision and loss of farmland. Neighbors also raised practical concerns about wells and septic systems, asking who would be responsible if local water supplies were affected.

Proponents of the rezoning — including the applicant family identified in the meeting as property owner Tyler Thomas and a speaker identifying himself as Steve Thomas — described plans to divide the parcel among family members. When asked by commissioners about future plans, the applicant said the parcel would be split among three brothers. The applicant stated that one neighbor had given consent for tree trimming that others contested.

During the exchange, a county staff member identified as Jim (planning staff) explained that A-1 zoning generally allows one primary residence per tract and that A-2 has smaller minimum lot sizes; a participant in the hearing noted that A-2 minimums can be as small as 2.5 acres, which affects how and whether lots could be further subdivided without additional rezone requests.

After public comment, a board member moved to rezone the property from A-1 to A-2; the motion was seconded and the chair called for aye votes. The board’s motion passed by voice vote. The applicant’s request was recorded on the meeting docket as a rezoning request involving parcels listed in the text map and identified property owners Steve Thomas and Tyler Thomas.

Neighbors were not formally able to convert their concerns into conditions on the approval during the hearing; several asked what would stop subsequent rezoning or denser development in the future. The board did not adopt any specific safeguards on the record beyond approving the rezoning request.