Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents object to modular home at 140 North Hillcrest; planner says state law protects placement
Summary
Neighbors at a Planning Commission meeting contested placement of a modular home at 140 North Hillcrest, saying it could lower property values; Jonathan Rush, Southeast Tennessee regional planner, told the commission the town cannot block the home because modular homes are a protected use under state law.
Residents of the neighborhood around 140 North Hillcrest urged the Spring City Planning Commission on Sept. 12 to intervene after a parcel that had been part of the Kemmer Hill Pool Club was sold and a modular home was sited there. Residents said they feared a drop in nearby property values and argued that modular homes should not be allowed in that area.
Rhea County Building Inspector Jimmy Vincent and Jonathan Rush, Southeast Tennessee regional planner, addressed the commission and residents. According to the meeting record, Rush told residents the municipality has limited authority in this situation because, as he said, "modular homes are a protected use under state law." The transcript records that the planner advised the town cannot take action to prohibit the placement on that legal basis.
The residents also told the board that the parcel had been sold without restrictions after it was no longer part of the Kemmer Hill Pool Club; the meeting record does not include documentation of any covenants or deed restrictions tied to the sale. Commissioners did not adopt a new regulation at the meeting; the issue remained a discussion item during new business.
The commission took no formal enforcement action at the meeting. The record shows staff and the regional planner provided information about the legal status of modular homes; any next steps or appeals by residents were not specified in the minutes.
