Just over a year ago Blount County residents turn out en masse to fight the sports complex. Link... Now we all have a real opportunity to let our voices be heard on how Blount County will look for generations to come.

Tuesday, July 15 at 6pm in room 430 of the Blount County Courthouse the BC Planning Commission is having a public workshop on the Policies Plan. This document guides the Planning Commission on setting regulations.

Read the text here Link... There are some really great things in this new plan that I would love to see kept in and then there are some items that frankly scare me especially in light of the Alcoa article as mentioned here Link... defining density.

Blount County as a whole, has the unique status of being a Preserve America County. The only county in Tennessee with this designation. That includes the entire county, not just Townsend.

Perhaps if we could call on the spirit of Frederick Law Olmsted and remember that where we place houses and roads today there will always and forever be houses and roads, more and more houses and roads. Crops can't grow on asphalt and once lost our historic buildings and sites can never return.

Written comments are accepted per the public notice that was in the July 4 edition of the DT.

The amendment will add Convenience stores with vehicle fuel sales to the list uses that may be approved as a special exception with specific limitations in the Rural District 1 Zone. The proposed amended section will read as follows: 9.2 C. Uses Permitted as Special Exceptions with Specific Limitations: Indoor Sport Shooting Range (Subject to provisions and requirements in Section 7.13); Outdoor Sport Shooting Range(Subject to provisions and requirements in Section 7.13); Convenience stores with vehicle fuel sale. The meeting will be held on September 11, 2007 at 6:30pm in Room 430 of the Blount County Courthouse

Just where might approval of this newest suggestion to the special exemptions lead?