Residents press commission on land-use plan and sewer siting as commissioners pass resolution opposing off‑limit wastewater plants

Speakers during the June 15 Wilson County Commission meeting pressed elected officials for clearer protections on land use and for limits on proposed sewer-plant siting, while county leaders moved to record the commission’s opposition to sewer facilities outside Lebanon city limits.

Multiple residents testified during the public-comment period. James Smallwood (District 6) told commissioners that past actions set a minimum A1 lot size of 80,000 square feet and warned that the draft land-use plan would reduce protections in some areas. "The question now is not whether we grow. The question is how we grow," Smallwood said, urging the commission to keep long-term planning consistent with prior policy.

Michael Swope raised technical and regulatory concerns about a county wastewater site known in the record as Log Road. He cited an agreement and an engineering compliance notice that — according to his presentation — showed 23,383,000 gallons measured into the facility and 16,867,000 gallons out during a November-to-January period, which he described as "a 30% mismatch." Swope asked when utility officials first became aware of leak or loss issues and whether temporary pumping to other plants related to capacity shortfalls.

Christy Chastain urged the commission to approve a forthcoming resolution (later introduced) to protect farms outside Lebanon’s urban growth plan from the sewer-plant siting process and criticized any suggestion that eminent domain might be used against farmland near schools.

On the floor, the commission debated process questions about how and when the planning commission’s recommendation on the land-use plan would take effect and whether the county commission could amend the plan without readvertising. Commissioners repeatedly cautioned that making substantive amendments on the floor could require restarting the public-notice process and might invite legal challenge.

The commission adopted Resolution 26-6-20, described in the packet as "opposing the construction of any form of wastewater treatment plant outside the corporate city limits of Lebanon, Tennessee." Commissioners noted the county relies on Lebanon for many sewer-served facilities — including the jail, some schools and county buildings — but several members said the resolution was necessary to protect rural properties. The resolution passed by voice vote.

Commissioner Breeze announced staff and planning director work on a proposed zoning amendment to address data centers: the draft would require a special-use permit, an impact study and sign-offs from utility providers to verify that new facilities would not harm current customers or raise rates. Breeze said the planning-and-zoning committee would consider the draft quickly with the aim of bringing it to the planning commission and county commission in coming months.

Next procedural steps: the planning commission is scheduled to consider the draft land-use plan in a meeting described by multiple commissioners as a recommendation to the county commission; if the planning commission votes to recommend the plan, the county commission will have a time-limited window to accept, reject or send it back for revision — with legal counsel and staff cautioning that amendments may require re-notice to maintain defensibility.