Blount County planning commission approves small solar site plan and multiple subdivision plats

Chairman Daryl Tipton convened the Blount County Planning Commission on Oct. 26, 2025, and the commission approved a site plan for a utility-scale solar installation at 3121 Mint Road and a slate of subdivision plats and related actions after routine staff presentations and limited discussion.

The most substantive item involved a site plan filed by Silicon Ranch Corporation for a 25-acre parcel at 3121 Mint Road. "That's a site plan for utility use at 3121 Mint Road," said Cameron, planning staff, who told the commission the project would disturb about 20 acres and would include a vegetated landscape buffer shown on sheet G102. Cameron said the buffer uses three types of trees and is set back 20 feet from the property line. "They're proposing a vegetative buffer. It's pretty specific on the G102," Cameron said.

The commission discussed a potential access easement issue that could landlock a rear lot. "On sheet 2 of this shows the lot of the utility or the ease access easement and then go up to the second lot just on when he before you record that plat, that easement needs to go to that second lot," said Commissioner McClellan. Cameron and other staff agreed to require the recorded easement to clearly extend to the rear lot. "We'll make sure that gets recorded and and to where it clearly extends to that lot," Cameron said. Commissioner Giles asked whether the same restrictions applied as on an earlier Sevierville Road site; staff said the proposed setback and tree buffer are similar to the prior approval.

After discussion the commission approved the site plan with conditions. The approval included the staff recommendation that the project obtain all applicable permits and a direction that the access easement must be recorded to extend to the second (rear) lot so the lot would not be landlocked.

The commission then considered multiple subdivision plats and one frontage variance. Staff member Doug presented the plats and listed outstanding items that applicants must complete before final recording, such as preconstruction meetings, maintenance agreements for common driveways, utility certifications, environmental health reviews, and final plat fees. Most items drew no substantive debate and were approved with staff conditions.

Notable plat items approved: a replat of Lot 16 R-5, Lindsay Estate (Amburn Builders) with four lots served by a common driveway and several listed pre-recording conditions; Manor of the Foothills Phase 3 Unit 3C (Tennessee Valley Land LLC), 26 lots and a new county road section with a new common-area lot and standard outstanding construction and certification requirements; a four-lot subdivision on Old Niles Ferry Road (Stone Construction) requiring a notarized maintenance agreement and utility certifications; a four-lot split for the Hembree property along Sevierville Road and Cunningham Road West with access-note corrections and required utility certifications; and a three-lot division for the Harvey and Sylvia Walker property off Rocky Branch Road and Cambridge Road, for which staff confirmed one lot line would be adjusted by about 30 feet to meet minimum lot sizes.

The commission also granted a variance to the 200-foot road-frontage requirement for a three-lot division of the Wynnog and Maybelle property off East Lamar Alexander Parkway. Planning staff said the lots currently do not meet the 200-foot frontage requirement and that the variance would allow existing house sites to remain with their historic frontage; staff described the change as making the rear tract more usable but not increasing road frontage for existing houses.

Votes at a glance: the commission approved the site plan for 3121 Mint Road; approved the Lindsay Estate replat; approved Manor of the Foothills Phase 3 Unit 3C; approved the Old Niles Ferry Road subdivision; approved the Hembree property split; approved the Walker property split (with a staff-confirmed lot-line adjustment); and approved the Wynnog/Maybelle plat with a road-frontage variance. All motions passed at the meeting.

There was no public comment on agenda items and no long-range planning items. The commission adjourned after routine administrative matters.