Blount County Board of Zoning Appeals approves two multifamily special exceptions, rejects proposed sewer condition

The Blount County Board of Zoning Appeals voted to approve two special-exception permits for multifamily development at its July 2026 meeting, taking final action on items that were carried over from a June public hearing.

The first approval granted a special exception for a multifamily development at South Odell Road and West Lamar Alexander Parkway in Maryville. A committee member moved to approve the request based on sworn testimony and evidence presented at the June 4 public hearing and on compliance with the county zoning regulations (Section 11.5). Another board member asked that the approval include a condition allowing the business identified in the record as “Smoky Mountain Myth” at 4742 East Lamar Alexander Highway to connect to the City of Maryville sewer system rather than use a soil-based system, citing recommendations from county and state environmental-health authorities. The board discussed whether directing the city on sewer connections fell within the board’s jurisdiction. One committee member said, “I’m not sure that falls under our purview,” and the proposed condition was not added. The board then voted to approve the special exception without that condition.

The second approval covered a multifamily project on Highway 411 South near the 129 junction. A committee member moved to approve based on the June record and compliance with Section 11.5; the motion received a second and the board voted to approve the project. During discussion a member of the public raised traffic concerns. The chair and other members said traffic impacts had been addressed in engineering studies provided by the developers and that the county/highway department had made requirements the developers agreed to as part of the permitting process. As the chair put it, the information available to the board was the engineering and agency recommendations submitted with the applications.

Votes at a glance
- Special exception — South Odell Road / West Lamar Alexander Parkway (multifamily): approved; motion moved by a committee member, second recorded; proposed sewer-connection condition for 4742 East Lamar Alexander Highway was discussed but not adopted.
- Special exception — Highway 411 South (multifamily, near 129 junction): approved; motion moved by a committee member, second recorded.

The chair noted that the public hearings for both items were closed at the June meeting and that members who had missed June could vote on the record if they had reviewed the hearing recording; at least one member had not reviewed the recording before voting. The board confirmed that approvals were subject to applicable permits and agency requirements. The meeting adjourned after the votes.