Blount County Moves Toward a 12-Month Moratorium on New Subdivisions and Apartments Outside Maryville and Alcoa

Blount County, Tennessee, is one step closer to a pause on large new housing developments. At its October meeting last Tuesday, the Blount County Board of Commissioners sent a resolution for a 12-month moratorium on new apartments, multifamily projects and subdivisions of more than 10 lots to the county Planning Commission, The Daily Times reported.

The pause would stop the county from accepting new applications for those projects. It covers the unincorporated county, outside the city limits of Maryville and Alcoa.

What would be covered

The moratorium targets three kinds of projects: apartment developments, multifamily developments and major subdivisions. According to WATE's report, subdivisions with 10 or fewer lots, and projects that already have preliminary approval, would be exempt.

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The resolution first sought to take effect immediately. Tennessee law requires zoning changes to go through a planning commission first, so commissioners amended it on an 18-2 vote and sent it on to the Planning Commission.

An amendment from Commissioner David Wells to take subdivisions out of the moratorium failed, 6-14.

Why commissioners want a pause

Supporters say the county needs time to study its infrastructure, and to let its Zoning Review Committee start updating the county's zoning rules, The Daily Times reported. "Our growth has outpaced our infrastructure," Commission Chair Nick Bright told WATE, pointing to traffic, with some drivers needing an extra 10 to 30 minutes to get through town at busy hours.

Bright said the pause is meant to let the county catch up, not stop growth for good. Some residents worry a freeze will make affordable housing even harder to find. "People don't have anywhere to live right now as it is," Blount County resident Sarah Murrell told WATE. She said she has seen the heavier traffic but wants more rental options, especially lower-income apartments.

Data centers too

The board also unanimously sent a second resolution to the Planning Commission: a one-year moratorium on AI data centers, cryptocurrency mining and similar operations in the unincorporated county. One member was absent. That resolution calls for an impact study and asks the cities of Alcoa and Maryville to work with the county on the issue.

What's next

The Planning Commission must hold a public hearing on both resolutions and send them back to the county commission for a final vote. If the commission makes substantive changes, the process starts over. The Daily Times reported the earliest final approval would come in January.

The Planning Commission is skipping its November meeting. Its next scheduled meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, according to a separate Daily Times report. The county commission holds a workshop at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, and its monthly meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19.

Neither moratorium is in effect until the county commission gives that final vote.

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