Blount County commission advances amendment to cluster‑development open‑space rule

Blount County commissioners at a July workshop voted to forward Resolution 257012, which would amend the county's zoning rules to change the open‑space requirement for cluster developments from 40% to 30.

The proposal, introduced by Commissioner Wells and seconded by Commissioner French, was taken up after public comments on housing. The commission voted 12 yes and 6 no to move the resolution to the full commission for a final decision.

The measure would modify Section 7.2(c) of the Blount County zoning resolution to revise the open‑space percentage developers must set aside in cluster developments. Sponsor Commissioner Veil described the change as an attempt to make a previously unused program financially “usable,” saying the existing 40% requirement had effectively created a moratorium because no developers applied under that standard. Veil said developers he consulted indicated a 20–25% open‑space level would be more workable and that 30% would be a compromise: “30% is doable and somewhat, I would say, meets in the middle,” she said.

Opponents, including Commissioner Aker, argued the change would increase density and reduce the county's rural character. “I can virtually promise you that not 1 of those homes will be affordable,” Aker said, warning that allowing twice as many houses per acre on cluster sites would produce low‑quality, higher‑density subdivisions and greater infrastructure demands.

Other commissioners expressed mixed views. Commissioner Giles said he would vote to forward the item but wanted to validate new information presented at the meeting before a final vote. Commissioner Davis said zoning adjustments alone would not solve affordability: “We can't zone our way into affordability here in Blount County,” he said. Commissioner Bowers said he supported moving the measure forward to allow more public input.

Sponsor Veil outlined program details she said would remain unchanged except for the open‑space percentage: a minimum project size of 10 acres; 25% of open space required to be contiguous to provide interior green space; and a required vegetated border around the development. Veil said the prior rule allowed applicants to request reductions “at any acreage” and that some earlier provisions had permitted negligible open space (described in the record as near 0%).

The vote to forward is procedural; the change is not yet adopted. The resolution will appear on the full commission calendar for final action, where commissioners said they will continue to review the technical details and public feedback.

Questions and next steps noted at the workshop included verifying national comparators for open‑space percentages, confirming financial feasibility for developers at 30%, and gathering additional public comment ahead of the final vote.