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Commission denies rezoning for Lynch Bus Lines after residents cite safety, traffic and neighborhood impacts
Summary
The Planning Commission denied a requested land‑use change and rezoning for a bus‑storage proposal on Nash Road after sustained opposition from residents citing narrow streets, early‑morning traffic, and long‑standing residential character; commissioners agreed the proposed general industrial designation was incompatible with surrounding homes.
The Knoxville‑Knox County Planning Commission voted to deny a request to reclassify a parcel near Nash Road from residential to a light industrial/general industrial land use to permit school‑bus storage and related uses.
Residents and neighbors told commissioners the narrow, hilly local roads are not suitable for bus storage and that the bulk of the neighborhood is low‑density residential; they also said the applicant’s historic, reportedly unpermitted storage on the site does not justify changing the formal plan or zoning. Candace Jones, who lives on Burns Road, said neighbors oppose the request and emphasized safety concerns for children, bus drivers and residents on narrow roads. She questioned whether the city’s prior decisions were relevant and pointed to damage to roadside cuts and mailboxes from large vehicles.
Ben Mullins, representing the applicant, said the location is strategic for area school bus routing and that Nash Road has a 40‑foot right‑of‑way; engineering staff told the commission that widening to a 20‑foot pavement width would be required for capacity in the segment. Mullins also noted historical non‑residential uses nearby and argued the location would better serve school logistics.
Commissioners debated whether the industrial designation would be compatible with adjacent single‑family homes. Commissioner Midas moved to deny the proposed light industrial land‑use change in the one‑year plan and, separately, to deny rezoning to General Industrial (IG); both motions passed following discussion that county policy and the general industrial district are incompatible with the surrounding neighborhood.
What happens next: The rezoning was denied. Applicant representatives may choose to identify a different site, pursue alternative uses allowed in the current zoning, or file a new application addressing access and neighborhood impacts.
