By Tabitha Evans Moore
Editor & Publisher
LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — A motion to grant The Retreat at Whiskey Creek a special exception for its next phase of development died for lack of a second at Tuesday’s Metro-Moore County Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) meeting. Moments later, the board’s longtime chairman announced his resignation.
Board member Peggy Blackburn moved to grant the exception. Fellow members Patrick Maynard and Houston Lindsey failed to second the motion, and it failed without a vote. Chairman Keith Moses abstained from the vote. Fifth member Josh Cook was absent for the second meeting in a row.
Neighbors vocally opposed Phase 2
Four people spoke during the public comment period, all raising concerns about the project. Moore County Highway Superintendent Shannon Cauble addressed road concerns. Planning Commission Chair Dexter Golden reminded the board that Metro Council had previously directed developer Chip Hayes to complete 75% of Phase One before advancing to Phase Two. A neighbor, Auriella Swann, who had previously addressed the Metro Council, repeated her earlier concerns, and neighbor Chris Dickey also spoke against the project on behalf of himself and his father, Jim Dickey. The Dickey family farm surrounds the Whiskey Retreat footprint on one side. They share approximately 1500 feet of shared property line and expressed concerns about liability should Retreat visitors wander onto their land.
During his comments, Dickey stated that a preliminary campsite drawing showed 45 RV campsites and an additional 16 yurts.
“There’s already 79 tiny homes going up there. That’s 61 more spots,” he said. “If there’s two people in each, that 122 folks. If there’s three, that’s 183. Add four people in each and that 244 additional people on that 23 acres. That’s more than the population of Lynchburg.”
Hayes arrived roughly 20 minutes after the meeting began.
During board discussion, Chairman Moses questioned whether the RV campground and yurt component of the project qualified as a second phase at all — a position that appeared to run counter to the condition Golden had just cited. Fellow BZA member Lindsey pushed back on his assertation.
In an act of transparency, Maynard disclosed during the meeting that he had spoken with neighbors about the project before the hearing, though he did not name which neighbors.
Moses resigns from the BZA following meeting
At the conclusion of the meeting, Moses announced he was stepping down from the board after nearly eight years of service, most of it as chairman.
In a Facebook post the same night, in which The Lynchburg Times was tagged, Moses wrote, “I am proud to say that during my time on the BZA, the members, to my knowledge, did not participate in any inappropriate conversations and/or deliberations on any matter that came before the Board. That may not have been the case for other local boards.”
Moses did not specify which boards or officials he was referring to, or what conduct prompted the remark. You can read the full post below. •
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