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Sevierville planning panel approves 223-unit Foothills at Red Bank despite resident safety and traffic concerns
Summary
The Sevierville Regional Planning Commission approved a preliminary PUD for the Foothills at Red Bank, a 223-unit residential development by D.R. Horton, after residents raised concerns about traffic, emergency access and infrastructure capacity. The vote passed 2-1 with one abstention; commissioners said the project met MDR zoning and the commission’s review scope was limited.
The Sevierville Regional Planning Commission on May 7 approved preliminary planned-unit-development (PUD) plans for the Foothills at Red Bank, a proposed residential project by D.R. Horton totaling 223 units, with 28 buildings and 195 townhomes planned in Phase One.
Staff Development Director Corey Divel told commissioners the site plan complies with the property’s existing MDR zoning and applicable subdivision and development regulations. The staff presentation noted a completed traffic-impact study and that the applicant agreed to fund and construct required roadway improvements including turn lanes, intersection modifications and signalization.
Multiple residents told the commission they opposed the project, focusing on traffic congestion, emergency access limitations, wildfire evacuation routes, school and hospital capacity, and the potential impact on the area’s rural character. A number of speakers questioned whether the traffic study reflected peak tourism-season conditions and asked for more coordination with county officials, including the County Emergency Services Committee.
The city attorney reminded the commission that the applicant holds vested development rights under current zoning, and that the commission’s review was limited to determining compliance with zoning and development regulations rather than imposing conditions that might have been possible through a rezoning. Commissioners noted the earlier rezoning and master-plan request had been denied in October 2025, and that those earlier processes would have allowed different conditions to be required.
After discussion, Commissioner Wayne Helton moved to approve the preliminary PUD; Mayor Robbie Fox seconded. The motion passed with two votes in favor, one opposing vote from Mr. Shane Patterson and one abstention by Mr. Daryl Roberts (tally: yes 2, no 1, abstain 1).
The approval is a preliminary PUD decision limited to compliance with existing standards; commissioners said final roadway design, signalization and construction timing will be addressed through design review and required permits. Several residents urged the city to continue coordination with county emergency services and to closely monitor traffic and emergency-access conditions during final design and permitting.
The commission did not impose the additional restrictions or access conditions that were discussed during the prior rezoning process because such conditions would have required a rezoning or other regulatory authority not available under the current MDR zoning. The commission’s action established preliminary PUD approval; further technical reviews and permits remain before construction could begin.
