Blount County Board of Commissioners sends moratorium resolutions to Planning Commission
The Blount County Board of Commissioners sent resolutions proposing a 12-month development moratorium and a one-year moratorium on AI data centers to the Planning Commission for review. The proposals require a public hearing and additional board approval, with final action unlikely before January.
The Blount County Board of Commissioners voted to forward two moratorium resolutions to the Planning Commission: one covering apartments, multifamily developments and subdivisions larger than 10 lots, and another targeting AI data centers, data-mining operations and cryptocurrency facilities. The measures are intended to give the county time to assess infrastructure capacity, community services and zoning regulations.
The AI data center proposal would also require coordination with Alcoa and Maryville and a comprehensive planning and development-impact study. The Planning Commission must review the resolutions and a public hearing must be held before the Board of Commissioners can take final action. Separately, the Planning Commission has already approved zoning amendments defining such facilities and placing restrictions on their locations and operations, although those amendments had not yet reached the county board for consideration.