The Greene County Commission voted against decreasing the speed limit on a section of Snapps Ferry Road on Monday night.
The resolution would have decreased the speed limit on the road from 55 miles per hour to 45 miles per hour from the city limits of Greeneville, where the speed limit is 35 miles per hour, to Williams Springs Road near Fairview Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The remainder of the road would have remained 55 miles per hour.
The resolution failed wth 16 commissioners opposing the measure and 4 voting to in favor of the change.
Those supporting the change were commissioners Jason Cobble, Lyle Parton, Bill Dabbs, and John Waddle. Those voting against the resolution were commissioners Kathy Crawford, Nick Gunter, Tim White, Josh Arrowood, Chase Murray, Brad Peters, Jan Kiker, Robin Quillen, Tim Smithson, Pam Carpenter, Lloyd “Hoot” Bowers, Gary Shelton, Larkin Clemmer, Lisa Anderson, Teddy Lawing, and Paul Burkey.
The Greene County Road Committee unanimously recommended decreasing the speed limit on a section of the road in early August at the request of Cobble who lives at 3270 Snapps Ferry Road. Cobble does not serve on the Road Committee. Cobble told the committee that 197 wrecks have happened on the road since 2011, and expressed similar safety concerns during Monday night’s County Commission meeting.
Cobble said that he had heard concerns from residents on the road that traffic often traveled too fast, but other commissioners said Monday night that they had heard several citizens voice opposition to the change.
One citizen, Pam Kilday, spoke during Monday’s meeting and said she was not in favor of the changing the speed limit on the road. She also asked for data concerning accidents and speeds on the road compared to other roads in the county such as the Kingsport Highway before any action was taken.
Commissioner Murray did say that according to information he received the state that Snapps Ferry saw over 6,000 cars per day, which is three times as many as Kingsport Highway.
Prior to voting on the matter, commissioners Kiker and Quillen both asked Cobble if he was requesting the change due to him constructing a new building on property he owns in that section of the road. Cobble said that the building was agricultural in nature only and denied that the speed limit change would benefit him personally.
In March, the committee recommended that the speed limit be decreased to 45 miles per hour for the full length of Snapps Ferry Road until it reached Rheatown Road also known as Highway 351 in response to a request from Cobble. However, that resolution was never brought before the County Commission.
PLOWSHARE ROAD DEAD-END GIVEN INITIAL OK
In other business, the County Commission recommended making Plowshare Road, a small road less than a quarter of a mile long that connects Asheville Highway and 107 Cutoff, a double dead-end on first reading. If given final approval by the County Commission at its meeting in September, the road would be split in two, with barriers placed in the middle.
The road sees little use, and has unsafe sight-lines when entering 107 Cutoff according to members of the Road Committee and residents near the street.
Committee members said in early August that making the street a dead end would not inconvenience motorists because 107 Cutoff and Asheville Highway intersect just about 150 feet past Plowshare Road, making the short road unnecessary.
Since the road will not be closed, property owners will maintain their current road frontage. The county would continue to maintain road once it is divided by a barrier.
The creation of a double-dead end on the road was approved by way of a 14-6 vote on first reading.
Crawford, Gunter, White, Arrowood, Murray, Peters, Cobble, Smithson, Dabbs, Bowers, Shelton, Anderson, Lawing and Burkey supported the change, while Kiker, Quillen, Parton, Carpenter, Waddle, Clemmer voted against it.
SEVERAL PARCELS REZONED
The Greene County Commission approved the rezoning of several parcels of property in different areas of the county on Monday as well.
The commission approved the rezoning of a parcel from A-1 to M-1 on Lonesome Pine Trail across from Love’s truck stop at Exit 30 off Interstate 81 by way of a 19-1 vote. Cobble voted against the measure.
Developers plan to build a gas station and convenience store on the lot. The building is expected to be about 5,300 square feet in size, and the gas station will include truck fueling. It is expected to be a smaller operation than the Love’s truck stop.
A second rezoning request on Idell Road at Exit 23 off Interstate 81 was approved unanimously by the commission. The two acre parcel was rezoned from A-1 to B-3 business use.
Property owner Ricky Shepard said in July that he was preparing the parcel to recruit a restaurant or business to the area as Exit 23 grows. The parcel is located next to Tri-Am RV.
A roughly 9.5-acre parcel at 2160 Main Street bordering the Town of Mosheim was also approved for rezoning from A-1 to B-1 business district.
A physician’s office is planned for the site.
