The request to grant multiple variances that would have allowed an asphalt mixing plant to built in Soddy Daisy has been denied by the city’s zoning board of appeals. There was so much opposition from residents of the city, that despite the heavy rain on Wednesday morning, the commission room was filled beyond capacity and spilled out into the hall and lobby of city hall.
The proposal came from James Thomas III whose family has long been in material production business such as rock and gravel and road construction, he told the board. He said they saw a need for an asphalt plant in the north end of Hamilton County, and he believed this location at the intersection of Thrasher Pike and Highway 27 would have been ideal. He said that 99 percent of the trucks delivering materials would have direct access to Highway 27 adding very little traffic on Thrasher Pike.
He claimed that there would be no wetlands disturbed, he would leave a barrier of trees around the plant to screen it, and that it would not pollute North Chickamauga Creek because the plant and stream are separated by Highway 27. Placement of the plant would be on four parcels of property at 212, 218, 226 Thrasher Pike and 1067 Holland Johnson Road, close to Ivy Academy and numerous homes.
Mr. Thomas also stated that asphalt plants are different today than they were in the 1970s. He said that TDEC permits are required to ensure the air is not polluted and dust is filtered out. He told the board of zoning appeals that only a little noise would come from dump trucks and front end loaders and the smell would be contained until it was put into the trucks to transport it. He said it would be good for Soddy Daisy because of taxes it would bring to the city and the 10 people it would employ, and that “it probably would not operate at night,” eliciting responses from the audience for the plant to be built next door to his own house.
Before a variance or special exception can be granted, there are five conditions of hardship that have to exist. Mr. Thomas answered that there were no hardships that would require the plant to be located so close to homes and schools. and City Attorney Sam Elliott said hearing there are no hardships, the requested variances are not justified. A motion not to accept the variances was passed to the applause from the audience. According to the ordinance there is no permitted use for certain types of businesses and specifically lists an asphalt mixing pant, within 500 feet of parks, schools state highways or first-class country roads and certain residential districts. If the request had been granted, the city’s Municipal Planning Commission would have had to find convincing evidence that the proposed use would not have had a deleterious effect on adjoining landowners. But the process was halted by the failure of the request for variances.