After much discussion and some wording changes, Macon County Board of Commissioners adopted a six-month moratorium on certain high-impact land uses.

The moratorium is a predecessor to a more comprehensive land-use plan that should be presented to commissioners by Labor Day.

The moratorium named 17 specific uses: amusement parks, asphalt plants, chip mills, concrete plants, convention/special event centers, hazardous waste disposal facilities, incinerators, junkyards, mining and extraction operations, mobile/manufactured home graveyards, mobile home parks, motorsports facilities, radioactive waste disposal facilities, sawmills, slaughtering and processing plants, solid waste management facilities and vehicle graveyards.

The list and moratorium were presented to commissioners by County Planner Joe Starks and Roberta Swank of the Vision 2025 committee, which was appointed by commissioners to study land-use regulations for the unincorporated areas of Macon County. Swank told commissioners the moratorium was not intended to harm anyone and that businesses and/or individuals already permitted would not be affected by the moratorium. She said it was Vision 2025’s goal to be “pro-active rather than reactive,” and the moratorium would allow time to create a comprehensive land-use plan in the best interest of Macon County. Swank said Vision 2025 would have a land-use plan for the commissioners’ review around Labor Day.

After some changes in the wording, commissioners unanimously passed the moratorium. Commissioner Alan Bryson of Highlands said he felt the language change was needed to protect “the little guy.”

He wanted to be sure small business operators who may have invested or borrowed money to create a business included in the moratorium would be covered by the “grandfather” clause.

Commission Chairman Harold Corbin said later he felt the county needed good land-use planning. He said he was confident his constituents would see the Macon County plan as a positive effort. We are planning for growth, not limiting it, Corbin said.

 

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The Smoky Mountain News