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Kingsport approves rezoning amid residents' warnings about quarry impacts near Holston school
Summary
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved a rezoning ordinance after public comment raised health, vibration and gas-line safety concerns tied to a proposed quarry; the ordinance passed with six ayes and one abstention.
The Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved an ordinance to rezone property (tax map 105, parcel 193) along Kendrick Creek Road to allow a low-density multifamily development after a public hearing drew no speakers on that specific item but followed an extended public-comment period about a nearby quarry proposal. The motion passed with six in favor and one abstention.
Residents from the Airport Village and adjacent neighborhoods used the public-comment period to press the board on potential impacts from quarry operations at a nearby site. "We're asking you to take our kids into consideration instead of letting this come within 250 yards of our school building," said Rodney Padgett of Glenville, who cited dust, asthma and vibration concerns for Holston Elementary’s students, including those with special needs. Other speakers urged careful coordination with utility providers over blasting near transmission lines and called for meaningful buffers between industrial operations and schools.
City planning staff had earlier presented the Kendrick Creek rezoning as an owner-requested change from R-1C (single-family) to R-3 (low-density apartments), noting the planning commission recommended approval and asked that the traffic study include the Kendrick Creek/Lebanon Road intersection. The city manager told the board that development plans and stormwater management would be reviewed by city engineers to ensure compliance with city requirements.
Board procedure: the mayor closed the public-comment period and the board conducted the ordinance reading and vote; the recorder reported the result as "order passes 6–0 with 1 abstention." The ordinance moves the parcel into a zoning category that permits multifamily housing, and staff said follow-on site plans and engineering reviews will be required before construction.
