A split vote rejected a Smyth County planning commission recommendation to deny David Peake’s plans for an apartment building in Marion.
Following a joint meeting between Supervisors and commission members, where neighbors rallied against Peake’s plans to build two eight-unit apartments in a residential area on Walton Road, the commission recommended denial of a special-use permit on a 3-2 vote with two members absent.
On Tuesday, Smyth’s Board of Supervisors rejected the rejection.
After some discussion, Phil Stevenson motioned to accept the recommendation but the measure failed on a 4-3 vote. Stevenson said he couldn’t see tossing zoning rules out the door.
Lori Deel’s follow-up motion to send the matter back to the commission and add conditions to approve the special-use permit passed on a 5-2 vote.
Chairman Charlie Atkins, who voted to uphold the Planning Commission’s recommendations, said he found it hard to vote against progress. Earlier in the meeting he had backed sending the issue back to the commission.
“They should have better guidance,” he said. “Send it back to them and let them put restrictions on it.”
Deel said she had driven past the location and believe, given the target tenant, wouldn’t be “party central. She also noted that less than a quarter mile away are apartment buildings, implying it’s hard to argue that apartments don’t fit the neighborhood. She also said that no matter what is done with the land, traffic on Walton Road will increase.
“I have a hard time fighting against growth,” she said. “We need housing in Smyth County.”
Deel noted that she’s heard some Emory & Henry students attending school in Marion are having to live in Washington County because they can’t find places to live in Smyth.
Supervisors did uphold, unanimously, a Planning recommendation for a special-use permit for a planned Saltville restaurant. Gregory Gordon had sought to open a carry-out and delivery pizza place just outside town limits.
Smyth County also became the fourth locality – following Bland and Wythe counties and the city of Galax – to sign on to the cigarette tax board, an entity that will ease the process for counties looking to collect taxes on tobacco products.
