Blount County Planners Deny 39-Lot Manor in the Foothills Plat on Best Road in 6-5 Vote
The Blount County Planning Commission voted 6-5 to deny final plat approval for Phase 4, Unit 3 of Manor in the Foothills, a 39-lot section off Best Road where roads and utilities are already in. The county attorney warned the denial could draw a lawsuit. Here is what happened and what comes next.
The Blount County Planning Commission has refused to sign off on the next section of Manor in the Foothills, a subdivision off Best Road outside Maryville. At its October meeting on Thursday, Oct. 22, the commission voted 6-5 to deny final plat approval for Phase 4, Unit 3, a 39-lot section where the roads and utilities have already been built.
The vote matters well beyond one street. It tells builders, landowners and homeowners across Blount County that a reshaped planning commission is willing to push back on growth, even late in the process. It also puts the county at risk of a lawsuit. Here is what happened, why it happened and what it could mean if you own a home or land in the county.
What the commission decided
A final plat is the last approval a subdivision needs. It accepts the infrastructure the developer installed and allows the land to be divided into lots that can be built on and sold. Manor in the Foothills is owned by Tennessee Valley Land LLC and is being built by Smithbilt Homes.
The commission approved the preliminary plat for Phase 4, Unit 3 in June. After that approval, the developer graded the site and installed roads and utilities. When the final plat came up in October, a motion to approve it failed 5-6. Commissioner Danny Kimsey then moved to deny it, citing existing county infrastructure, lot size and open space. Chip Blankenship seconded, and the denial passed 6-5. Commissioner Nick Bright was absent because of a conflicting fire district board meeting.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Project | Manor in the Foothills, Phase 4, Unit 3 |
| Location | Off Best Road, unincorporated Blount County |
| Lots | 39 |
| Preliminary plat | Approved June 2026 |
| Final plat | Denied Oct. 22, 2026 |
| Motion to approve | Failed 5-6 |
| Motion to deny | Passed 6-5 |
| Reasons cited | County infrastructure, lot size, open space |
| Lots left in the master plan | 97 not yet developed or submitted |
Who voted which way
Voting to approve the plat were David Corwin, Chris Franklin, Tom Hodge, Joshua Sullins and Darrell Tipton. Voting against approval were Chip Blankenship, Shannon Effler, Danny Kimsey, Bruce McClellan, Steve Myers and Robert Simerly.
The makeup of the board is part of the story. A new commission term began Sept. 1, and five members were replaced after the June preliminary approval: four new county commissioners and one new mayoral appointment.
Why members voted no
Kimsey said he was passing along complaints from people who live off Best Road. He told the commission the area is already too developed to handle what is in place now, and that the earlier commission set lot size rules for a reason.
Simerly, who represents District 4 on the County Commission, focused on traffic. He said the traffic study behind the project is roughly 8 to 10 years old and that Best Road has seen a lot of development since then. He asked for updated car counts before more homes are added.
The developer and the vested-rights question
Josh Sanderson of Smithbilt told the commission that concerns about Best Road should have been raised at the preliminary stage, not after the company spent millions of dollars on roads and utilities. He said the company met every requirement in the rules.
That is the legal core of the dispute. A letter from the county attorney, handed out before the meeting, warned that denying the plat could expose the commission and the county to a lawsuit over the owner’s vested rights. Staff reports for recent Manor sections carried the same warning: plats approved by Maryville, where the developer has made improvements, have a vested right to continue to final plat.
Staff also confirmed that state law requires a denial to state which regulation the developer violated or which preliminary requirement was not met. Commissioner Tom Hodge argued the motion did not meet that bar.
Even some growth skeptics voted yes
Corwin, a District 9 county commissioner who sits on the planning board, said he supports slowing development along Best Road and is open to new rules for future preliminary plats. But he said changing course on a final plat, after the land has been graded and the money spent, is not fair to the developer. Hodge went further and called the denial illegal.
How Manor in the Foothills got here
Maryville approved Manor in the Foothills on Feb. 19, 2018. When the city gave up its regional planning role and became a municipal planning commission, projects it had approved outside city limits moved to county jurisdiction. The county Board of Zoning Appeals then allowed the master plan to continue under Maryville’s original requirements.
The subdivision has been built in steps since 2018:
- April 2025 — Phase 3 wrapped up with Unit 3C, 26 lots.
- September 2025 — Phase 4, Unit 1 (15 lots) received final plat approval.
- January 2026 — Phase 4, Unit 2 (26 lots) received final plat approval.
- June 2026 — Phase 4, Unit 3 (39 lots) received preliminary plat approval.
- Oct. 22, 2026 — Final plat for Unit 3 denied 6-5.
Sanderson said another 97 lots in the original master plan have not yet been developed or submitted for preliminary approval.
The county’s track record in court is part of the risk. According to The Daily Times, Blount County has been sued several times by developers since 2016 over denials, most recently over Sugarland Creek, and has not yet won one of those suits.
Meetings to watch
- Thursday, Oct. 29, 6 p.m. — The County Commission’s Zoning Review Taskforce holds its first meeting.
- Thursday, Nov. 19, 5 p.m. — The new Stormwater Committee holds its first meeting.
- November — No Planning Commission meeting; the usual date falls on Thanksgiving.
- Tuesday, Dec. 8, 5:30 p.m. — Next scheduled Planning Commission meeting, Room 430 of the courthouse.
These meetings follow the County Commission’s move to send moratorium proposals to planners. For that background, see Blount County Weighs 12-Month Pause on 10-Lot Subdivisions and Apartments, Plus an AI Data-Center Moratorium.
What it means for Blount County homeowners and buyers
If you live near Best Road
For now, the 39 lots cannot be sold as separate home sites, so no new houses are coming to that section in the near term. Traffic, road condition and open space were the issues raised, and neighbors clearly have the commission’s attention. Whether the denial stands may depend on the courts.
If you are buying new construction
Ask your builder where the lot stands in the approval process. A recorded final plat is what you want to see before you sign a contract on a lot that has not been built on. A lot that is still waiting on approval can be delayed for months.
If you own land you might sell to a builder
The county is rethinking growth rules through its new taskforce and stormwater committee. Land deals that depend on future subdivision approval may take longer and carry more risk until those rules settle. Build that into your timeline and your price.
If you are selling an existing home
When new supply slows down, resale homes in established neighborhoods can draw more attention from buyers. To see how quickly homes are moving, read How fast do homes sell in Maryville?. If you are deciding on timing, start with Should I sell my Maryville house now or wait until spring 2027?.
Thinking of selling in Blount County?
A clear price based on recent sales near you is the best place to start. Get a free home valuation, or request a cash offer if you want a fast, certain sale.
What did the Blount County Planning Commission deny?
It denied final plat approval for Phase 4, Unit 3 of Manor in the Foothills, a 39-lot section off Best Road. A motion to approve failed 5-6, and a motion to deny passed 6-5 on Oct. 22, 2026.
Why was the Manor in the Foothills plat denied?
The motion to deny cited existing county infrastructure, lot size and open space. Members also raised traffic on Best Road and a traffic study they said is 8 to 10 years old.
Could Blount County be sued over the denial?
A letter from the county attorney warned the denial could put the commission and the county at risk of a lawsuit over the developer’s vested rights. The developer had already installed roads and utilities after the June preliminary approval.
How many more lots are planned in Manor in the Foothills?
According to the builder, 97 more lots in the original master plan have not yet been developed or submitted for preliminary approval.
When does the Blount County Planning Commission meet next?
There is no November meeting because the usual date falls on Thanksgiving. The next scheduled meeting is 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, in Room 430 of the courthouse.
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