Smith County supervisors deny special‑use permit for proposed auto salvage site after residents raise safety and environmental concerns

The Smith County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on April 9 to deny a special‑use permit for an automobile salvage/recycling operation proposed for a site on Old Prader/Old Prairie Road.

The application, submitted by an applicant identified in the record as Mr. Kite, drew lengthy public comment both for and against the operation. During the citizens’ comment portion, resident Rebecca Blevens told the board she opposed the permit and urged supervisors to protect property values and safety, saying she lived on a “very narrow and residential road” with blind curves and a single‑lane bridge that she feared could not safely accommodate heavy commercial traffic. “I oppose the permit for the auto graveyard,” Blevens said during her remarks.

Supporters of the proposal, including Gracie Billings, argued the operation would provide environmental benefits through metal recycling and said state regulators had reviewed the project. “The DEQ has already reviewed this operation and issued the permits required,” Billings said, noting that the Department of Wildlife Resources had told her the nearby fish hatchery would not be negatively affected. Jack Billings Jr., who said he has experience in the salvage industry, also urged the board to consider the economic and cleanup benefits the applicant promised, including site beautification.

The planning commission forwarded the matter to the board after a tie vote; at its March meeting commissioners were split on whether conditions and screening could address neighbors’ concerns. At the April 9 meeting several supervisors said the county’s zoning code and state provisions require that salvage operations not be visible from adjoining properties and that the topography of the parcel — with nearby residences located at higher elevations — made effective screening impractical.

Planning staff told the board the property previously had a permit some years ago but that the prior permit had lapsed; staff said long‑standing vehicles on the parcel may remain as a nonconforming use but that any substantial expansion would require a special‑use permit. Several supervisors cited that distinction in explaining why they were reluctant to approve a new, larger salvage operation tied to a modern LLC structure.

Courtney Wider made the motion to deny the special‑use permit; the motion was seconded and the board recorded a unanimous vote to deny the application as presented. Supervisors also discussed referring broader questions about salvage yards and screening standards to the ordinance committee and planning staff for a countywide review of zoning language and conditions.

The board clerk said the denial applies to the proposal as presented and that an applicant may return with revised plans or seek a different site; supervisors advised the applicant and neighbors that the upcoming ordinance committee meeting could address countywide standards for salvage yards, visibility and screening.

What happens next: the decision denies the current application; county staff and the board discussed adding the item as a topic for the joint ordinance committee with the planning commission to consider whether code changes or clearer screening standards are needed.