BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. – A Johnson City annexation effort could put the brakes on a Sullivan County development.
The Johnson City City Commission started the annexation process Thursday, targeting a 64-acre parcel at the intersection of U.S. Highway 11E and Austin Springs Road in Sullivan County, near the Rocky Mount historic site. A 36-lot residential development, called Cedar Crest, is planned on approximately 20 acres of the parcel.
Until a few months ago, Tom Bachman owned the entire parcel and requested the annexation, Johnson City Planning Coordinator Steve Neilson said last week. Bachman sold a section of the parcel for the Cedar Crest development a few months ago.
Johnson City moved forward with the annexation, believing it was one property owner that owned the parcel because it did not have updated property records from Sullivan County, Neilson said, adding that city leaders only recently learned that the parcel was subdivided.
“We were taken by surprise over the last couple of days,” Neilson said.
Highlands Engineering is doing the plat for the development. The company’s president, Stephen Ellis, said his client also just recently learned about the city’s plans to annex the property.
Sullivan County was set to hear the plat application at the next planning board meeting but the process is on hold because of the annexation. The developer has indicated to Johnson City that he does not want the parcel annexed, Neilson said.
Sullivan County Mayor Steve Godsey is concerned that Johnson City continues to annex small sections of Sullivan County -- like the Food City in Piney Flats -- for sales-tax revenue.
“What they are doing is not appropriate,” Godsey said. “I don’t think they should be able to spread their growth in Sullivan County. Their growth should be in Washington County.”
He added, “It really is not a good working relationship with those guys down there.”
Neilson said Johnson City has the right to annex the property. The parcel is connected to land that is already within Johnson City and is part of the city’s urban growth boundary. Years ago, Johnson City annexed land along the U.S. 11E corridor to the Piney Flats crossroads.
“Our position is we have invested in infrastructure out there, and it does abut our city limits,” Neilson said. “A lot of this growth would not be possible without that infrastructure.”
The developer would be required to install water and sewer lines if the parcel is inside the city.
Johnson City officials and the developer plan to discuss the matter before the next City Commission meeting Jan. 19.
“We know long-term this should be in the city,” Neilson said.
Ellis said his client is deciding whether to move forward with the development if the parcel is annexed.
“It’s possible,” he said. “[The annexation] could be a positive thing or a negative thing.”
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