Blount County workshop reviews draft comprehensive plan as residents press for more housing choice and traffic solutions

At a June workshop of the Blount County Commission, consultant Sarah Sinatra presented an updated comprehensive (growth) plan and described public engagement and recommended land-use categories; residents and industry representatives urged more housing options and affordability and several commissioners raised concerns about traffic and next steps.

The plan, prepared by Inspire Placemaking, is a guiding document rather than law. Sinatra said a comprehensive plan “is not zoning, it is not law, it is a guiding document,” and described public outreach that included more than 5,600 website visits, roughly 3,600 unique visitors and “over 300 comments.”

Why it matters: The plan sets a 20-year vision that county officials and future zoning changes would use to guide where growth is encouraged and where rural and conservation areas are preserved. Residents said the county’s current land-use patterns are contributing to rising home prices and fewer affordable choices near jobs and services.

Presentation and main recommendations

Sinatra summarized the plan’s goals: encourage higher density near urban centers, preserve rural and environmentally sensitive lands, diversify housing options (including mixed-use, accessory dwelling units and cluster development), and invest in water, sewer and transportation infrastructure to support growth…