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Commission tables Lee Highway towing/vehicle-storage application amid concerns over code definitions and environmental risk
Summary
The commission tabled an application for a towing and vehicle-storage operation at 3827 Lee Highway after residents raised flooding and contamination concerns and staff said the city needs to clarify whether the proposed use qualifies as a junkyard under local ordinance.
The Loudon City Planning Commission voted to table an application for a proposed towing and repair facility at 3827 Lee Highway to allow staff and legal counsel time to clarify zoning definitions.
Applicant Mike Skelly of Skelly's Towing and Diesel Repair described the intended operation as a towing and repair business, not a dismantling or salvage yard. "We don't dismantle. We don't sell parts. We don't strip. We don't recycle," Skelly said as he described short-term repair timelines for vehicles that are either repaired or removed to salvage destinations.
Neighbors expressed concern about stormwater and possible leaks from stored vehicles after recent vegetation-clearing on the site. Sherry Barnes, property manager at Wilton Manor Townhomes, said the site clearing has coincided with new flooding on her property and that she is "very, very concerned about any kind of leakage from the vehicles." Other nearby residents cited property-value impacts and long-standing environmental complaints in the area.
Staff and the planning consultant flagged an unresolved question: the city's zoning code distinguishes automobile-wrecking/salvage yards from towing/repair facilities, and the code's wording may bar new junkyards. Staff asked the commission to table the application until legal and staff could review chapter 3 of the city ordinance and confirm whether approving the site plan would contravene the junkyard provisions.
After discussion, a commissioner moved to table the application for one month; the motion carried by voice vote.
Next steps: staff will review the relevant ordinance language and prepare legal guidance for the commission; the applicant may return next month with additional materials or a revised site plan.
