by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

On June 14, the Monteagle City Council held a second public hearing on rezoning of a 4.6-acre parcel to commercial to accommodate a proposed 20-acre travel center. Following the hearing, three of five Monteagle council members indicated construction of a truck stop on the property was not their “first choice.” On second reading, the council, nonetheless, voted unanimously to approve the ordinance 12-21 to rezone.

The council previously held a public hearing and approved the rezoning on first and second reading, but city attorney Sam Elliot explained the city decided to repeat the process due to a “technical defect.” Procedural errors have plagued the proposed construction by RBT Enterprises for over a year. The developers purchased the property as zoned C-3, but the zoning was ruled invalid due to a meeting notice mistake (see Messenger Nov. 4, 2020). The council approved the first reading of ordinance 12-21 at the May 24 meeting.

First to comment at the hearing, resident Mary Beth Best displayed a triptych featuring Monteagle “help wanted” signs to dispel arguments the truck stop would provide much needed jobs. Best said she anticipated an approval vote that would be a vote against the advice of many voices including Miller and Martin law firm, structural engineer Jim Waller, 500 pages of research data, the American Lung Association, and “against the will of the people.” Over 300 residents signed a petition opposing the rezoning, Best said.

Resident Oscar Fitzgerald asked, “Do you want to be known as the largest truck stop in the state?”

Speculating on the impact the truck stop would have on the community, 13-year resident Joanne Atwood said, “People with discretionary income won’t come here…I wouldn’t do it again.”

Resident Lucy Keeble commented a large number of people spoke out against the development at prior meetings, and only one person spoke in favor of the truck stop. “They [the developers] have refused to honor the ordinances governing paving, fencing, and landscaping, and remain in violation of TDEC’s permits,” Keeble said. “Construction began months ago and continues without a building permit…How do you expect this story to end?”

“Voting [the rezoning] down won’t stop the truck stop,” said RBT investor Rodney Kilgore. RBT attorney Rusty Leonard concurred. “Even if the 4 acres do not get rezoned, it’s not going to stop this project.”

In response, resident Mary Mellen Clark said, “So why rezone it? You [the council] can at least protect the neighbors” by leaving the R-3 residential buffer in place.

In her motion to go forward with the rezoning, alderwoman Jessica Favaloro stated the findings needed for rezoning had been satisfied: the rezoning would not constitute spot rezoning; the detriment to some was outweighed by the public good; and the public good outweighed the benefit to the developers.

Prior to the vote, Alderman Nate Wilson said, “I am not and have never been in favor of the truck stop. I would prefer a flea market…a park with ball fields. There are lots of things I would prefer, but those are not things proposed for the site.” Wilson argued the town’s biggest mistake was the 2003 rezoning of Kilgore’s garage to C-3, putting C-3 next to R-3 development. “I wish that hadn’t happened, and we wouldn’t be here today…Let’s work together and figure out how we want Monteagle to look going forward.”

Alderwoman Dorraine Parmley and Mayor Marilyn Campbell Rodman echoed Alderman Wilson. Both said the proposed development was not their “first choice, either.”