Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rezoning Enka Highway topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning commission denies Enka Highway rezoning request, urges special‑exception route
Summary
The Morristown Regional Planning Commission voted 7‑0 on June 11 to deny a request to rezone a 3.6‑acre tract at 2955 Enka Highway from A‑1 to C‑1 for a storage warehouse and recommended the applicant seek a Special Exception from the Hamblen County Board of Zoning Appeals with buffering requirements.
Morristown Regional Planning Commission members voted unanimously June 11 to deny a rezoning request that would have allowed a construction firm to build a storage warehouse at 2955 Enka Highway.
Lori Matthews, Senior Planner, presented REZN‑3002 on behalf of applicant Corbin Stewart and property owners Nancy and Gerald Kinsler. Matthews said the 3.6‑acre tract lies inside the city’s Urban Growth Boundary and is currently zoned A‑1 (agriculture). “Under the current conditions, staff would not recommend rezoning to commercial (C‑1) or industrial (I1) at this time,” Matthews said, adding that the area is for the most part used for residential housing and farming and that rezoning could be considered spot zoning.
Matthews told commissioners staff would support the applicant pursuing a Special Exception from the Hamblen County Board of Zoning Appeals to allow construction of a storage warehouse provided that “ample buffering was shown against residential properties.” She noted that the A‑1 district already allows many uses by right, some of which could produce greater impacts than a storage warehouse.
Commissioner Ventrus Norfolk moved to deny the rezoning; Commissioner Sabrina Seamon seconded. Vice‑Chairman Jack Kennerly confirmed the motion reflected staff’s recommendation. The voice vote was recorded as 7 yes, 0 no; the motion carried.
The commission’s decision leaves the Special Exception path as the staff‑recommended route for the applicant. The motion to deny did not impose specific buffer conditions; Matthews indicated buffer requirements would be reviewed if the Board of Zoning Appeals considers a Special Exception application.
The Planning Commission record does not show a public speaker advocating for the rezoning during the meeting. The clerk’s attendance list includes the applicant’s name and other community members; the applicant was represented in the materials on file, not by a recorded in‑meeting statement.
Next steps: The applicant may pursue a Special Exception before the Hamblen County Board of Zoning Appeals; any revised application would return to staff review for buffer and screening requirements.
