Commission declines site‑plan approval for new 7–12 school amid traffic, stormwater and access concerns

The Lenoir City Regional Planning Commission declined to approve a proposed site plan for a new 7–12 school that would include a football stadium and athletic fields, saying key traffic, access and stormwater questions remained unresolved.

Multiple residents told the commission they had not received clear answers on traffic impacts, emergency access and use of a county access agreement with First Baptist Church. Tracy Harris Hackman, who said she owns property adjoining the site, told the commission she still had unanswered questions from the county and the school board about traffic flow and the effect on her father’s driveway. "If my dad has a medical emergency and there's cars lined up, how is he supposed to get out?" she asked.

Pat Heiner raised similar concerns about the traffic‑impact study and stormwater controls and asked whether a stormwater permit had been obtained. Heiner also referenced an access agreement between the school board and First Baptist Church and said he wanted more detail about where that access would connect to the site.

Resident Michelle Harris said the project has shifted from earlier promises and questioned why plans for traffic distribution had changed, telling the commission she had requested the traffic studies and received only the documents themselves in response.

Planning staff and the project team said they had prepared multiple revisions to the traffic study over more than a year and were coordinating with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT). A project representative said TDOT has approved plans for an eastbound turn lane and an acceleration lane on Highway 11 and that the current plan is for traffic to ingress and egress from Highway 11 rather than Simpson Road. Staff also said additional school flashing signs and police presence for drop‑off, pick‑up and events were planned; they noted TDOT does not require traffic analysis for football games.

City staff clarified that the portion of the site within city limits (including a proposed entrance on Simpson Road) had been reviewed and that the smaller detention pond within the city met review criteria. The larger detention pond and the school building sit in Loudoun County, the presenters said, and grading and cut work were underway on the upper lot.

Commissioners repeatedly pressed for specific lane widths, acceleration/deceleration lane lengths and other TDOT design details. A planner said the project was still in design and that TDOT review was ongoing; the lane design had been expanded beyond TDOT’s original recommendation and work was likely a year away from construction. A commissioner said that without complete TDOT lane dimensions and assurances about access agreements, it would be premature to approve the site plan.

After deliberation a commissioner moved to deny the site plan for lack of adequate information; another commissioner seconded and the motion passed by voice vote. The transcript records the motion to deny, a second, and "ayes," followed by the chair announcing the denial. The transcript does not record a roll‑call tally.

The commission’s denial was procedural: it was based on insufficient information in the commission’s view and did not itself decide on the merits of traffic engineering, stormwater permitting, or interagency agreements. Staff and the project team said they could supply additional lane‑width and TDOT design details and the commission indicated it would reconsider once those materials and other clarifications were provided.