Neighbors’ objections prompt planning commission to recommend denial of proposed towing business

The Smyth County Planning Commission voted Oct. 24, 2019, to recommend denial of a Special Use Permit for a towing and service business proposed by James Craig Harper on a tract at the corner of Valley Road and Highway 107 (Tax Map 41A-4-2).

Zoning Administrator Clegg Williams said the applicant had applied for a special permit and that the property is identified as Commercial/Industrial on the county’s 2013 Future Land Use Map. Notice was advertised and mailed to adjoining property owners; Williams reported he had not received supportive comments prior to the hearing.

Eight neighbors spoke against the proposal during the joint public hearing. Opponents (Alan Dinsmore, Nanine and Bill Woodward, Jim and Dottie Carter and others) cited concerns that locating a towing business there would create safety risks for children boarding school buses, increase the risk of oil and vehicle-fluid spills, reduce nearby property values, lead to accumulation of vehicles resembling a junkyard, worsen limited site distance at the property entrance, and increase traffic on Southwood Lane.

Commissioner Graham Davidson moved to recommend denial; Commissioner Paul Shepherd seconded. The motion passed by recorded vote of attending commissioners. The commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to the Board of Supervisors for final action.

Why it matters: Neighbors raised multiple, concrete concerns about safety, traffic and environmental risks. The recommendation to deny preserves the current residential character of the immediate area pending Board review.