Washington County Planners Weigh a Pause on Zoning Text Changes and a Fall Branch Rezoning Nov. 3

The Washington County Regional Planning Commission meets Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 4 p.m. in the first-floor conference room of the Historic Courthouse, 100 E. Main St. in Jonesborough. Two items on the packet matter to anyone who owns land in the unincorporated county.

First, the commission will consider a moratorium on outside requests to change the text of the county’s Zoning Resolution while the county finishes rewriting it. Second, it will take up a request to rezone 10 acres on Moulton Road in Fall Branch from R-1 residential to A-1 agriculture. Separately, the county Board of Zoning Appeals will hear a variance request for a garage-style accessory building that was put up in a front yard near Jonesborough without a permit. Staff recommends denial.

A pause on zoning text amendments

Under “Other Business,” the agenda lists one item: consider a moratorium on text amendment requests to the Washington County Zoning Resolution, unless the Planning Commission or county staff start them, until the Zoning Resolution update project is complete.

A text amendment changes the rules themselves, such as what uses are allowed in a district, how big accessory buildings can be or how far buildings must sit from a property line. That is different from a rezoning, which changes the district assigned to a specific parcel.

What a pause would mean

If the commission adopts the moratorium, landowners, builders and businesses could not bring their own proposals to change the zoning text while the rewrite is underway. The commission and staff could still start changes. Rezoning requests for individual parcels are a separate process and are not named in the moratorium item.

The practical effect: if you were hoping to ask the county to loosen a specific rule, the path for now is likely to be the rewrite itself. Watch for public meetings and comment periods tied to the Zoning Resolution update and make your case there.

Moulton Road, Fall Branch: R-1 to A-1

The only rezoning on the Nov. 3 agenda covers 176 Moulton Road in Fall Branch (Tax Map 008, Parcel 045.00, File #26WC-00789). The owner asks to move the 10-acre property from R-1 Low Density Residential to A-1 General Agriculture so more accessory structures can be built.

Why A-1 instead of R-1

The staff report spells out the key difference. R-1 is the county’s most restrictive residential district and caps an accessory structure at the size of the house. A-1 sets no maximum size for accessory structures. A-1 also allows a wider range of uses, including limited types of commercial operations, agricultural businesses and more than one home on a lot.

Staff says the A-1 land to the east and southeast is similar in size and character to this property. The R-1 lots to the north and west are much smaller and face Oak Glen Circle. The site is heavily wooded with steep grades, has an existing home near the front and several outbuildings to the west and northwest. Staff recommends approval, calling A-1 similar in character to the surrounding area and appropriate for larger lots.

What happens next

The Planning Commission makes a recommendation. The rezoning application lists the County Commission for a final decision at 6 p.m. Nov. 23 at the George P. Jaynes Justice Center, 108 W. Jackson Blvd. in Jonesborough. The agenda also announces that date for the next County Commission meeting.

This follows a similar case. On Oct. 6, the Planning Commission voted 7-0 to recommend an R-1 to A-1 rezoning at 628 Matson Road in Jonesborough. For that case, see Washington County Sets Oct. 26 Hearing on 628 Matson Road Rezoning: Staff Backs R-1 to A-1 on 19.2 Acres.

Zoning appeals: a front-yard building near Jonesborough

The Board of Zoning Appeals also meets Nov. 3. Its one new item is a variance request at 240 Pleasant Valley Road in Jonesborough, a half-acre lot zoned A-1.

County rules allow an accessory structure on a lot with a home only in the side or rear yard. According to the staff report, the building in question was put up within the past year on a driveway turnaround in front of the house, without a building permit. It sits about 14 feet from the front property line, compared with the 30 feet required in A-1, and about 20 feet from the pavement, near a sharp curve.

Staff recommends denial. The report says the lot is not unusually narrow or steep, so there is no hardship tied to the land. Staff also raised concerns that the building blocks visibility along the road. Personal circumstances described in the application are not considered a hardship under the Zoning Resolution.

Meetings to watch

• Tuesday, Nov. 3, 4 p.m. — Regional Planning Commission, Historic Courthouse, 100 E. Main St., Jonesborough. Text amendment moratorium and Moulton Road rezoning.
• Tuesday, Nov. 3 — Board of Zoning Appeals. Pleasant Valley Road variance.
• Monday, Nov. 23, 6 p.m. — County Commission, George P. Jaynes Justice Center.

What it means for Washington County landowners

Planning a shop, barn or garage

Accessory building rules come up in both cases. In R-1, a detached garage or shop cannot be bigger than your house. In A-1, there is no size cap, but on lots with a home, accessory buildings still belong in the side or rear yard. Get a building permit first. A building put up without one can lead to a violation, a variance hearing and possibly removal.

Selling rural land

Zoning shapes what a buyer can do with land, and buyers ask. If you own acreage, know your district, your water and sewer options and whether any part of the land sits in a flood zone. For recent county decisions affecting owners, see Washington County Tables a Senior Property Tax Freeze for About a Year and Looks at Expanding Tax Relief and Gray TN Subdivisions Approved as New-Home Prices Rise 3.8%.

Thinking of selling in the Tri-Cities?

If you are weighing timing, start with Should I sell my Jonesborough house now or wait until spring 2027? or How fast do homes sell in Johnson City?.

Get a free home valuation, or request a cash offer if you want a fast, certain sale.

What is the Washington County zoning text amendment moratorium?

The Regional Planning Commission will consider pausing text amendment requests to the Zoning Resolution, unless the Planning Commission or county staff start them, until the Zoning Resolution update project is complete.

When does the Washington County Planning Commission meet?

The Regional Planning Commission meets at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in the first-floor conference room of the Historic Courthouse, 100 E. Main St. in Jonesborough.

Why does the Moulton Road owner want A-1 zoning?

To build more accessory structures. R-1 limits an accessory structure to the size of the home, while A-1 has no maximum accessory structure size. Staff recommends approval.

When will the County Commission vote on the Moulton Road rezoning?

The application lists the County Commission meeting at 6 p.m. Nov. 23, 2026, at the George P. Jaynes Justice Center in Jonesborough.

Can I build a garage in my front yard in Washington County A-1 zoning?

On lots with a home, the Zoning Resolution allows accessory structures in the side or rear yard only. Staff recommends denying a variance for a front-yard building on Pleasant Valley Road built without a permit.

Source links

• Washington County Regional Planning Commission — Meeting agenda and packet, Nov. 3, 2026
• Washington County Board of Zoning Appeals — Meeting agenda and packet, Nov. 3, 2026

More from Kings of Real Estate

Related local news:

• Washington County Sets Oct. 26 Hearing on 628 Matson Road Rezoning: Staff Backs R-1 to A-1 on 19.2 Acres
• Washington County Tables a Senior Property Tax Freeze for About a Year and Looks at Expanding Tax Relief
• Gray TN Subdivisions Approved as New-Home Prices Rise 3.8%
• Should I sell my Jonesborough house now or wait until spring 2027?
• How fast do homes sell in Johnson City?

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