Sevier County

Sevier County Sets Nov. 16 Hearings on Three Rezonings, Including 4.49 Acres on Birds Creek Road for Rural Commercial

Sevier County has set Nov. 16 public hearings on three rezonings that went before its Planning Commission Oct. 13: 4.49 acres on Birds Creek Road and 1.93 acres on S. Old Sevierville Pike to C-1 Rural Commercial, and 3.1 acres on Wye Drive from R-1 to A-1.

Tracy King

20 Oct 2026 • 6 min read

Sevier County commissioners will hear three rural rezoning requests on Nov. 16. Illustrative photo.

Sevier County commissioners will hold public hearings Monday, Nov. 16, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. on three rezoning requests in the unincorporated county. Two would move land to C-1 Rural Commercial, one on Birds Creek Road and one on S. Old Sevierville Pike. The third would move a Wye Drive tract from R-1 Rural Residential to A-1 Agricultural.

The hearings are set for the multipurpose room, 306W, at the Sevier County Courthouse, according to public hearing notices published Oct. 17. All three requests first went to the Sevier County Planning Commission on Oct. 13.

The three requests

Applicant (Oct. 13 agenda)	Location	Current → requested	Acres
JMB Investments Company LLC	Birds Creek Rd. (notice address 3045 Birds Creek Rd.), Map 85 Parcel 110.00	A-1 → C-1	4.49
Heidi N. Sasscer	721 S. Old Sevierville Pike, Map 34O Group A Parcel 2.01	A-1 & R-1 → C-1	1.93
Mark Barnes	518 Wye Dr.	R-1 → A-1	3.1

Source: Sevier County Planning Commission agenda, Oct. 13, 2026, items 12–14; public hearing notices published Oct. 17, 2026.

Birds Creek Road: 4.49 acres to C-1

The largest request comes from JMB Investments Company LLC, which asked to rezone 4.49 acres on Birds Creek Road, Map 85 Parcel 110.00, from A-1 to C-1. The hearing notice lists the property as 3045 Birds Creek Rd.

721 S. Old Sevierville Pike: a split parcel to C-1

Heidi N. Sasscer asked to rezone 1.93 acres at 721 S. Old Sevierville Pike from a mix of A-1 and R-1 to C-1. The parcel is Map 34O Group A Parcel 2.01 in both the planning agenda and the hearing notice.

The same road was on the Oct. 13 agenda for a second reason. Item 8 was a concept plan for Timberline, a 10-lot residential subdivision zoned R-1 at 316 S. Old Sevierville Pike.

518 Wye Drive: residential back to agricultural

Mark Barnes asked to rezone 3.1 acres at 518 Wye Dr. from R-1 to A-1. The two records list different parcel numbers. The Planning Commission agenda lists Map 58 Parcel 107.00, while the hearing notice lists Tax Map 69 Parcel 1.00. If you own nearby land, confirm the parcel with the Planning and Zoning Department before the hearing.

What C-1 and A-1 allow

The difference between these districts is spelled out in the county’s zoning resolution.

C-1 Rural Commercial is meant to provide areas for homes and businesses that serve local residents. It says those businesses should not require high visibility or accessibility and are encouraged along collector roads or main intersections while keeping the area’s rural character.
A-1 Agricultural is meant to establish and preserve agricultural and rural areas by allowing traditional agricultural uses along with low-density residential activities.
R-1 Rural Residential is meant for low-density residential development while preventing non-compatible commercial, industrial and dense residential uses.

C-1 also allows any use permitted in the R-1 and R-2M residential districts by right, and R-2 uses where public water and public sewer serve the property.

With an approved site plan, C-1 allows uses that include rural retail businesses, campgrounds, restaurants and brewpubs, self-storage developed under PUD rules, professional offices, amusement centers and rural recreation businesses, antique stores and arts and crafts shops, and event venues. Anything not listed is prohibited unless the Board of Zoning Appeals finds it similar to a listed use.

A rezoning changes what can be built, not what will be built. None of the three requests on the agenda names a specific project.

The rest of the Oct. 13 planning agenda

The same Planning Commission meeting reviewed a long list of development items around the county:

Hidden Hollow Cabins: a site plan for a 12-unit residential PUD on A-1 land at 420 Blowing Cave Rd.
Newport Hwy Office: a professional office site plan on C-2 land at 3144 Newport Hwy.
Sevier County Self Storage: two self-storage warehouses on C-2 land at 114 County Garage Rd.
Shannon Penn Prop: a 7-lot residential concept plan on S. New Era Rd.
Hillside Hideaways: a 13-lot final plat on Shady Creek Way.
Running Rock: a Phase 2A final plat for 10 lots on Running Rock Way, plus a Phase 1 plat for right-of-way on Laurel Creek Rd.

The agenda also carried two countywide items: amended Section 302 flood protection rules required by FEMA, and a recommendation to eliminate the Sevierville and Pigeon Forge planning regions. For background on both, see Sevier County Commission Set to Vote Oct. 19 on Flood Rules Tied to New FEMA Map Panels and Sevier County Moves to Take Full Planning Control Outside City Limits Oct. 19.

A familiar pattern

Requests to move rural land to C-1 are not new on the commission’s docket. The Oct. 19 commission agenda included a public hearing on Resolution 2026-10-02, rezoning Tax Map 38 Parcel 66.00 from R-1 Rural Residential to C-1 Rural Commercial.

How a county rezoning moves

The Oct. 19 commission agenda shows the usual two-step format. Resolution 2026-10-02 appeared first under the public hearing section, where residents can speak, and again under new business for the commission’s consideration. Expect the Nov. 16 requests to follow the same path if they are placed on that agenda as resolutions. The planning commission’s role comes first. Its Oct. 13 agenda listed all three rezonings for review before the hearing notices went out.

Sevier County dates to watch

Oct. 13, 2026 — Planning Commission agenda, rezoning items 12–14.
Oct. 17, 2026 — Public hearing notices published.
Nov. 16, 2026, 6:00 p.m. — Board of Commissioners public hearings, Sevier County Courthouse, multipurpose room 306W.

The Planning and Zoning Department is at 227 Cedar Street in Sevierville and is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The notices say the rezoning requests are available there for review.

What it means for Sevier County landowners

Commercial zoning can change a neighbor’s view. If you own a home near Birds Creek Road or S. Old Sevierville Pike, read the C-1 list above and attend or comment on Nov. 16.
Agricultural zoning is not a step down. A-1 still allows single-family and two-family homes, plus farm and rural uses.
Selling land? Zoning drives value. Know your district and what the county map allows before you price a tract.

For more on how the county is reshaping its zoning rules, see Sevier County Zoning Rewrite Clears Planning: Hillside Overlay, Critical Slope Rules, and a Five-Foot Firewise Zone.

Own a home or land in Sevier County and wondering what it would sell for today? Get a free home valuation, or request a cash offer if you want a firm number on your timeline.

When are the Sevier County rezoning hearings?

Monday, Nov. 16, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the multipurpose room (306W) of the Sevier County Courthouse, according to the public hearing notices.

What is proposed on Birds Creek Road?

JMB Investments Company LLC asked to rezone 4.49 acres on Birds Creek Road, Map 85 Parcel 110.00, from A-1 Agricultural to C-1 Rural Commercial.

What is proposed at 721 S. Old Sevierville Pike?

Heidi N. Sasscer asked to rezone 1.93 acres from A-1 and R-1 to C-1 Rural Commercial.

What does C-1 Rural Commercial allow?

With an approved site plan, uses include rural retail businesses, campgrounds, restaurants and brewpubs, self-storage under PUD rules, professional offices, rural recreation businesses, arts and crafts shops and event venues.

Why would someone rezone from R-1 to A-1?

The Wye Drive request moves 3.1 acres to A-1 Agricultural, a district meant to preserve agricultural and rural areas while still allowing single-family and two-family homes.