A lakeside campground in Carter County is one step closer to a possible expansion after members of the Carter County Planning Commission approved a design plan for the project.
The approval for Cove Ridge Marina Campground’s expansion design plan came following a split vote during the Planning Commission’s meeting on Tuesday afternoon. The Cove Ridge Marina and its campground are located at 947 Piercetown Road in a portion of Butler that lies within Carter County around Watauga Lake.
Carter County Planning Director Chris Schuettler told members of the Planning Commission the property owner was not able to attend Tuesday’s meeting due to an emergency that had arisen, but said Chairman Jerry Pearman said the group could still consider the request based on the Planning Department’s review of the proposed plan.
“This meets the criteria of the campground ordinance passed by the Commission in April 2016,” Schuettler said of the plan. “We did a site plan review and everything meets our requirements.” Schuettler added the property owners had made some changes to the plan that his department requested by his office.
While the planned expansion may meet the regulations in place, Carter County Mayor Leon Humphrey, who sits as a member of the Planning Commission, said the group must consider the “negative impact” the expansion of the campground would have on neighboring property owners. Humphrey said several high-value homes nearby could see their values decline as a result of the campground expansion.
“Just down the road you have a home that’s on the market for $3 Million,” Humphrey said. “The Middletons and the Dabadanzas came into this county and worked hard to protect the value of their property.”
Others on the Planning Commission disagreed with Humphrey, citing the fact the campground existed first.
“This old existing campground was in there 40 years ago, before these people built these homes,” Planning Commission member Jerry Smith said.
Commissioner Ray Lyons, who also sits on the Planning Commission, noted the group had approved a different campground during it’s June meeting that also met all the requirements.
“I don’t see approving one and not the other,” Lyons said.
Planning Commission member Ralph Watson pointed to the potential economic impact the campground expansion could have. “Look at the development this could be,” he said. “You want tourists? This is tourists.”
Planning Commission member Steve Pierce made a motion to approve the design plan, which was seconded by Watson. The motion passed on a vote of 7-3 with Pearman, Watson, Smith, Pierce, Lyons being joined by Planning Commission members Steve Arney and Sonja Culler in voting in favor of the motion. Humphrey was joined by Planning Commission members Robert Carroll and Mary Ann Patton in voting against the approval of the design plan.
Schuettler said the design plan was just the first step in a long process the property owner would have to go through before the expansion could begin. Because the property is on the shore of Watauga Lake, the property owner will also have to comply with Tennessee Valley Authority and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation regulations.
In other business, members of the Planning Commission discussed several properties across the county that are in violation of state litter ordinance and the steps being taken to get the problems corrected.
Schuettler said some of the properties are “habitual offenders” and the problems keep occurring repeatedly.
Currently, Schuettler said, the county must go through a lengthy process with the property owners before the case can be brought before a court to try to get a court order for the property to be cleaned up.
Previously, the Planning Commission had requested the County Commission to formally adopt the International Property Maintenance Codes but the Commission voted the proposal down.
“Passing those would really help us out,” Schuettler said, adding the IPMC gives the county more authority to enforce property code violations.
Pierce suggested the Planning Commission attempt once again to get the County Commission to adopt the IPMC. Schuettler said he would prepare the information and bring it back before the Planning Commission.