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Sevierville appeals board classifies proposed SRM/ReadyMix plant as "mining and extraction," defers silo-height variance
Summary
The Sevierville Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously determined Dec. 4 that a proposed SRM/ReadyMix concrete plant is classified as "mining and extraction," invoking a 1,000-foot separation requirement, and voted to defer a requested 37.5-foot variance for the site's concrete silo pending additional technical data and renderings.
The Sevierville Board of Zoning Appeals voted unanimously Dec. 4 to classify a proposed SRM/ReadyMix concrete plant at 1000 Old Knoxville Highway as a "mining and extraction" use under local zoning rules and deferred action on a requested 37.5-foot variance for a concrete batch silo to next month to allow the applicant to provide additional technical information.
Development Director Corey Divel told the board the site is the subject of a 2018 amendment adopted to address earlier Vulcan activities and said the board must decide whether the plant’s proposed operations align with the zoning definition of "mining and extraction." The applicant, identified in the minutes as SRM/ReadyMix, summarized plant features it described as modern and lower-impact, including low-dust and low-noise technologies, full-site paving, water recycling, and structural measures to address flood and wind loads.
The classification matters because board members concluded that the plant’s material handling and storage functions fall under "mining and extraction," which triggers a 1,000-foot separation requirement from existing dwellings and platted residential subdivisions unless written consent is obtained. Commissioners also noted ambiguity in the code over whether that 1,000-foot distance is measured from a property boundary or from equipment or structures on site.
Commissioners discussed alternative design approaches — such as two fixed 60-foot silos or a mobile 60-foot configuration — but raised tradeoffs: lower heights could constrain internal truck circulation or increase the number of daily truck trips. Staff requested site-specific decibel measurements to verify compliance with local noise limits and asked for more detail on the proposal to raise the site one foot above base flood elevation and on silo foundation design.
The board also discussed visual mitigation measures, including darker silo coloration, skyline-blending artwork and frontage screening, and expressed concern that allowing variances based on proposed advanced technology could create a precedent for other heavy-industrial uses that may not offer comparable mitigation. Staff was asked to consider whether a conditional or administrative review process could distinguish modern, low-impact concrete staging operations from traditional extraction or crushing facilities.
Butch Stott moved to classify the use as mining and extraction; Mayor Robbie Fox seconded and the motion passed unanimously. Daryl Roberts then moved to defer Item D1 to the next month to allow further clarification of height and distance measurements; Mr. Stott seconded and that motion also passed unanimously. Present at the meeting were Chairman Vincent Snider, Vice Chairman Butch Stott, Secretary Douglas Messer, Daryl Roberts, Mayor Robbie Fox and Wayne Helton; Commissioner Shane Patterson was absent.
The board requested additional renderings, elevation drawings, noise data, and floodplain/foundation details from the applicant before taking a final vote on the variance. The item remains pending and will return to the board for further consideration. The meeting adjourned at 5:43 p.m.
