Planning commission deadlocks on towing‑business permit after neighbors object

The Smyth County Planning Commission was unable to reach a majority recommendation on a May 27, 2021 special‑use permit application by James Craig Harper to operate a towing/service business at 174 South Wood Lane in Saltville.

Harper told the joint public hearing he planned a fenced 100'x100' storage area to hold up to eight vehicles and a 30'x50' steel building to house towing equipment, with on‑site staffing Monday‑Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. "No more than eight vehicles be stored on the property," Harper said when asked about vehicle counts.

Several adjoining owners spoke in opposition, citing concerns about the property becoming a junkyard, increased traffic and safety, and a blind‑spot entrance. Neighbors asked for protective stipulations if any permit were granted. Commissioners debated and proposed a stipulation package — including a screened 7‑foot chain link fence enclosing a 100'x100' area, entrance on Highway 107, the 30'x50' building, and a requirement that the fence be installed before the permit would issue — but votes were split.

A motion by Commissioner Hazel Wagoner to recommend approval with those stipulations resulted in a 3–3 vote with one abstention, and the motion failed. A subsequent motion to recommend denial likewise failed (3–3 with one abstention). The minutes record no final majority recommendation being forwarded to the Board of Supervisors; the commission adjourned without a conclusive recommendation on the application.

Commissioners and staff discussed enforcement mechanisms: zoning staff and the county attorney explained violations would be handled by notice and, if necessary, civil suit. The record shows strong neighbor opposition and divided commissioner views about whether the zoning code could be used to properly structure the use to protect adjoining properties.