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Commission renews Manor in the Foothills preliminary plat; commissioners press for written water, drainage and road commitments
Summary
The commission approved a 24‑month renewal of the preliminary plat for Manor in the Foothills (phase 4) after lengthy discussion about water‑line commitments, drainage and traffic on Best Road; commissioners requested written commitments from cities/highway department and said staff will follow up.
The Blount County Planning Commission voted to renew the preliminary plat for Manor in the Foothills phase 4 for an additional 24 months after extended questioning from commissioners about infrastructure commitments and drainage.
Thomas, county planning staff, told the commission the preliminary plat was originally approved in 2022, renewed in June 2024, and remains valid until the end of the month unless extended. He said phase 4 work has begun and that some subunits are already under construction. Several commissioners asked about long‑promised utility improvements: Commissioner Mlen said earlier presentations indicated a planned upsized water line along Best Road and asked whether that work has been built. Commissioners also raised concerns about drainage, noting residents have complained and pointing to detention and drainage basins referenced in the staff analysis.
Commissioner Jiles and others noted a copy‑paste error in the staff report that referred to "phase three" in one line while the item is phase four; staff acknowledged the clerical error and clarified the intended phase. Commissioners asked whether the highway department or cities had provided formal written commitments to serve the development. Thomas and other staff said some infrastructure on site had been constructed in earlier phases and that developers may have vested rights under state law, which limits what the commission can require at this stage.
Commissioner Wells proposed postponing the renewal to allow the commission to obtain written commitments from cities or the highway department, but the motion was withdrawn after debate about fairness to other developers. Developer Josh Sanderson (Tennessee Valley Land and Smithville Homes) said his company installs internal infrastructure to county specifications and asked what documentation the commission wanted; commissioners said written commitments or emails from service providers would be helpful next month.
After discussion, the commission voted to approve the preliminary‑plat renewal. Commissioners said staff will follow up with the highway department and local cities to confirm any external commitments and will invite city or highway staff to provide written documentation to the commission at a future meeting.
